When the darkness comes
by AustinGamer117
Summary: "The fall of the Reapers may had brought your galaxy and yourself peace, but with the cycle broken, an old civilization will rise and reclaim what rightfully theirs; even if they have to leave the galaxy burning along the way."
1. Prologue Part 1

My old world is dead. As I watch from atop of a hill, as the village I was supposed to protect burn to the ground. The men who burn the village begin to chase me. I run as fast as I could. I ran into woods, hoping they don't follow me there. I look behind, only seeing there terrible red eyes. My legs begin to hurt from all the running, but I didn't care at all. They killed my friends, the villagers. The ones I was supposed to protect, but I failed them, I failed them all.

I stop near a riverbed, almost exhaustion from the running. Luckily the river leads up to a nearly cave that I can take refuge. I lie down on my knees and took a drink. The water was so refreshing to my mouth, that I nearly pass out until... I saw the river turned red. I coughed up the water and stand up. I look at the west end of the river and started seeing... bodies. I covered my hands in horror and begin to run.

Fearing they might found me, I head towards the cave. When I reach there, it was very dark and water was slowly dripping out of the stalactites.

I lie down and rest. It was quite uncomfortable actually to lay on this position.

I watch as Mother Nature was doing her thing: the slowly connection of a stalagmite and a stalactite. It was amazing seeing the two connect. It only takes days for them to connect, but it only took a matter of hours, possibly due to the planet weird ecosystem. It was getting dark and I was sleepy. I begin to hear gun firing, they sounded close. I got up and move deeper into the cave. The cave was dark, but luckily there was bunch of matches in my pocket. I still couldn't see dame thing in there. I was worried I might get bitten by a bat, or shake, or something worse. I walk deeper into the cave, before I was stop by a door. I was in shock and disbelieve. How did this door get here? What does it lead to? I keep question myself, but no answer. I put my hand on the door. It was soft, but a bit rough and it was sold cement.

I keep thinking that I should open the door, but I don't know what at the other side. I move my hand with the match, examining the door. There was stone paining on it. From what I can tell from this stone-craved paining, it's showing a group of Natives of this planet on their knees worshiping a dark...horse.

From my point of history, I know that a tribe lived here long ago; they worship these two horse gods named Soleil and Caelum. Even, the native's society was the closest equivalent to Greek society: architecture, the arts, machinery, culture, but their gods were different, very _different_.

I mentally laughed at myself when the Alliance almost pisses itself when another species was related to one of our dead civilizations. Ah, where was I, Oh yes the gods of the navies? From the Alliance and council standpoint, they were skeptical of this alien 'Greek civilization'. Am I getting off track again, ha, ha, ha sorry?

They worshiped these nigh gods that they believe created the universe. The other gods were servants of the horse gods that I mention earlier. They foretold that the gods teach the natives how to live with harmony and make peace with all the tribes, well until the unknown setters came. At first, the tribes greeted the setters with open arms, but as more setters came and began losing their land. The tribes abandon their teachings and went to war with the setters.

The war ended badly from the start. The setters, having the technological advantage, were able to wipe them out. The survivors disbanded and scatter to the wildness in order to escape the setters' wrath. As I examined more of the stone carvings on the door; after much debate, I have come to my contusion that this door leads to another planet. At first, I think that was a crazy idea of teleportation of planet to planet.

Even though teleportation is widely used by the Citadel governments' and the Systems Alliance to move solders and supplies to dependable colony worlds, there has been slight problems with the technology. One of the problems involves the distance of the teleporting; there has no problems with the tech when teleporting goods across continents and worlds, but system to system are another story or teleporting to a planet in another system.

Teleportation, when active can take a lot of power to operate the complex machine. There has been several experiments on improving the tech, but has led to many deaths and major accidents. So there was no point sticking around in this much longer, but this door, it giving this weird feeling. The back part of my mind is telling me to open this door, but I have to leave now. My family needs to know that I'm alive.

But as I was about to leave, I heard voices. They were coming from the far end of the cave: the entrance. My god! They found me. I panicked. I search for another way, but there were no passage-ways or holes at all, but only the door itself. I told myself not to open that door. It was crazy thinking behind that door, there might be some universe. But the voices were getting closer I can hear their footsteps. I had no choice. I approach the door; I noticed there were no handles, so I push. I push hard as I can. The door finally open, there was a bright light. I can feed its warmness against my cold, cut, and bruise body. I covered my eyes so I can see what's at the other side. The light was too bright for me, but I walk towards the light. As I approach the light, I felt a burn on my arm. I rub my arm, At first, I thought it was just a bug bite, until I move my hand from my shoulder to only see... blood.

I look back, only seeing nothing in the darkness. I heard some footsteps. I panicked and I yell. "who is this, show yourself!" there was no one there. I didn't understand how I got a bullet in my arm. Than I heard another gunshot; this time it landed near shoes. I step back. Than I made the biggest mistake in my life; I tripped. I landed into the light. The inside of it was hot. I can feel my sweat trickling down my face. The light made me all comfortable. I felt dizzy. My eyes were beginning to close. I tried to stay awake, but it was hopeless I quickly fell sleep, worrying that the stranger with the gun might tried to kill me in my sleep. I had entered into a deep sleep. I didn't know how long I was out, but when I regain conscious. I was falling... from the sky.

I was completely freaking out and bloody hell it was dark, I could barely see the ground. Luckily, there were two backpacks, one on my left arm, and the other (I presumed to be the parachute.) on my back. I search the bag on my left arm, hoping to be the parachute. I unzip the bag, but it wasn't a parachute, it was my stuff. 'I don't even remember bringing my stuff, hell, I don't remember bring this'. I though. My laptop was in there, my 21st century iPod, and… a picture of my bondmate and my three... daughters. I felt devastated after I saw that picture. I sigh and look down. The ground was still very dark but my eyes were already adjusted to the dark. I see that I will land in forest…but I can't take this cruse anymore. I want to die. There was no reason I should keep living, my life has no purpose.

But something...inside my mind told me to keep on living. I had no idea where the voice was coming from, but it kept repeating these words: "Don't give up, your there only hope." I don't know what that mean? Was she talking about my family, my country or this world? I finally open my eyes. I was shocked that I was only 50 feet from the ground. I quickly search the other bag. As I expected, it was the parachute. I pull the handle. The parachute was finally released. I rub my hand across my forehead in a sigh of relief. I had face death many times before, but this time it was close.

As I glide through the skies, I can see a village. It looks very medieval like. I have finally landed near a forest, well not on the ground at lease. But in the branches of a tree. I took a few hits from the branches, but nothing serious. So, now I am hanging from a tree in middle of a dark and spooky forest at night time. Great what next a giant monster is going to come out and maul me to death. I wish I hadn't said that.

As, I begin to unbuckle my parachute. I heard something.

I stop what I was doing and look around. I could hear branches being crushed, the sound of giant footsteps approaching. 'OH BY THE SPIRITS!' I thought. I was completely fucking scarce of my life. The footsteps were getting louder and closer by the minute. I quickly look into my bag; finding anything that could help me defend myself. I keep digging in my bag; I finally found a weapon. It was a pistol, well an old M-6 Carnifex from the twenty-second century to be precise. I dig into my bag again to see if there any thermal clips. I only found 3.

Quickly, I loaded my pistol and started scanning the area with my pistol for the creature. I look around for a full five minutes before it a roar. I stop looking to my left, and started looking at the breast. I can't believe what I am seeing; A FUCKING MANTICORE.

I still can't fucking believe it. They're… real, but they only existed in Persian mythology.

But still how is it...possible. I started to breathe heavily, but slowly. I snapped out of my thoughts when the creature started to move. I look straight at the monster eyes, trying to establish dominance, but it failed. The monster can notice fear in my eyes. It roars again and goes into attack position. I pointed my gun at the manticore. It let out another roar and started to charge.

**BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG**

I fire my weapon four times, hoping that I can kill the creature legs and make a run for it before any of it friends coming for him. But that plan quickly fell apart, the manticore quickly dodges my shots and the monster swings of it claws at me. I close my eyes, hoping this is the end of me and this nightmare. But instead of killing me; it aim its claw at the parachute. I guess it didn't want its prey being held up in a tree before the kill. With a thud, I had hit the ground. The manticore was now close to me. I can smell it's horridly breath.

I aim my pistol near its throat. My arm was shaking; the manticore had taken notice of my pistol; the monster slams me at the tree and swings its claws right into my chest. The moment the monster plunged it sharp claws into me, my life flash through my eyes: The day I was adopted, the day I entered the military, and the first time I met my first…love. The pain was fucking unbearable.

I can feel my blood on my right hand as I attempted to get the manticore claw out of my chest, but it was no use. The claw was well place in my chest; tearing up my insides right this moment. My ribcage torn apart; tears streaming down my face, the end is near for me. I'll will see my wife again soon. The manticore let out another monstrous roar as it swings it's another claw towards my arm. I scream as loud as I could that someone could come and help me, but no came. I was facing death soon. But not without taking the manticore with me; I again stare straight at the manticore.

Its eyes are bleeding red and I can tell it piss off. "You think you can take me out, you ugly son of the—"before I can finish my sentence, the manticore let roar, this time he reality pissed off. The monster plunged it teeth near my neck. I let out another scream, a scream I swear that anyone with thin a 5 mile radius could hear. I was too weak to fire my gun, but I have too. I use all my strength to move my towards it head. Luckily, it didn't notice it, until felt something on its fur;

The manticore moves it eyes and look down. It been searching for any animal it could gets it claws on all night, and found a meal. A very strange...ape hanging from a tree; a weird medal thing that has hole up front to his throat. He looks up to his prey again. His prey chuckled, He was very confused. He has the upper hand; his claws were at its chest and it arms and still it not dead. But he senses something is wrong with this creature. "Nightly night, MOTHERFUCKER!" before he can reacted, pain had just soar through his throat. He looks down; blood was spitting out and covering the glass with blood. The manticore started to have hard time breathing.

I give myself little smile as I saw the manticore took a few steps from me and begin to choke on its own blood. "How it like now, huh, you ugly son of the bitch," I said as, I begin to cough up blood. I watch as the manticore slowly dies off. Finally, the manticore falls to the ground, still choking and finally it toke it final breaths and drown itself in its own blood. As soon as the monster went dead, I search for my backpack. The manticore had thrown it near a brush. Even though the pain is killing me quickly; I crawl towards it. Hoping, my bag has a medi-gel inside of it. As each minute pastes, my eyes started to go blur. I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I am going to die here if I pass out. Hell I bet some other predator is going to come, roaming around here and found me and the manticore corpse. My crawling became a bit slow. I stopped, knowing that I won't make to my bag, so I will wait for death to come for me. I lay my face on the soft, um-tamped grass. It feels so peaceful here, but the quietness broke as soon as I begin to hear footsteps. By now, I have passed out due to the loss of blood. I don't know how long I was out. But I swear I thought I was being drag by a zebra, but I think that was a dream, right?

I woke up, feeling groggy. My eyes were still closed. But I can hear someone speaking an east African accent. From what I can hear, she either making something or cooking; weird, maybe I didn't hear her right. Then I felt something on my chest. It felt…. Like goo. It feels very soft, like the pillows imported from Thessia. Man, I missed those pillows badly. My head feels lightly dizzy, must be from the goo. Ah, well. I might take a few hours of sleep before I introduced myself to my saver.

I slowly open my eyes; it was dark. From what I can see, I'm in what appears to be a cut-out tree. The room I'm in currently in is well, cover with African masks and bottles. I can hear….. Singing of someone nearby, that voice… it so beautiful and smooth.

_My heart is hollow, but I will not give in._

_Our love ones will be in our hearts forever._

_We will not give in; we will fight until our last breath._

_We will not give our children to you._

_The gods will burn you for what you had done to our people._

_We will not give in to your whippings and callings us…us…._

She stops the song. I can hear her sobbing than she starts crying. I felt sadness in me, hearing her cry. I don't know why she crying, but I'm about to found out.

I peeked through my eyes, only seeing that the person who saves me wasn't a person, it was zebra. "Is there something wrong?" I ask her politely; lifting my head. She turned around, shocked that I was awake. "Oh, I see my visitor had awaken from his dreams," she said while trying covering up her tears. From what I can tell from the bags under eyes; she been crying for hours. "You still haven't answered my question." I tried to lift myself, but only melt with pain in upper body. "ARGH! Son of the…" I placed my hand to my chest. Its hurts like hell. "The pain in the body is not heal. This I have will help." The zebra handed me a bobble of some sorts. "Here, this will make the pain go away." She explain to me that the bobble will only help make pain temporary gone, but she also told me to only take small doses; she say that the liquid in the bobble has some weird…..side effects to it. I did what she told me. I open the bobble and toke small doses. The smell was horrible, as I took the first dose.

The taste in liquid was unbearable. As soon I finish taking my first dose. I ask the zebra for some water. The taste from that bobble still lingers in my mouth. "I see this one had finally suffered the taste of the hail flower." She said while handed me the water. I took one big gulp of the water. My tongue tingled as the water made contact. The water was really refreshing for my tastes.

"Thank you for the water, miss…"

"Zecora" she said.

I am still very shock that I am talking to an animal, but an intelligence one, at that. I had asked her where my bag is; she pointed her…hoof at a nearly table. "Your items are inside, where they are safe from anypony." Did she just say 'anypony' well that weird I guess her kind uses a different kind of dialogue here? She also explains that she also heal my wounds.

"Thank you, Miss Zecora."

"It was nothing, my dear friend."

Wow, it only had been a few minutes and she already calling me a friend. I need to ask her where am I.

"So, I was wondering, Where am I?" I ask her politely

"My friend, you're in equestria." She answer

_Equestria_; where did I hear that name before? I ask her a few questions about equestria. What she was telling me was unbelievable. She told me that equestria is ruled by two princesses that control the sun and the moon. In my mind, I tried to come up with every logical scientific theory to explain it. But to no avail. She asks what I am.

"I'm a human, Zecora"

She takes one good look at me, giving me weird looks; she moves her right hoof to my hands. She moves my fingers for a while. She takes one of my fingers and examines it. She moves it a little. Her hooves are soft. But, by the look of them, they were rough. After a few minutes of examining my fingers, she stops and stares at me; It felt realty uncomfortable that she staring at me like that. She finally speaks.

"Are humans relating to dragons?"

I answer "uh, no Zecora. Humans are not relating to dragons; we are relating to apes and monkeys."

Once I say that. She gave me a smile. So, we exchanged a few conversions about my personal life. I told her that I was born on the twenty first of December in 2177 on Earth. My father was the captain of the alliance cruiser SSV Moscow, and my mother was a marine. My family has been military since the Second World War, and that hasn't changed, but when the reapers came. Everything changed. The reapers had completely overrun earth's defenses in a matter of minutes. I was at my parent's apartment home in Vancouver, sleeping in my bed when it happens.

I was awoke by this sound. It sounded like a starship, but close. When I look over my bedroom's window, all I could only that scars me for life was the destruction, the screams, the death. And the worst of them all were the…ships; those squid- like ships tearing Vancouver apart building by building, apartment building after apartment building had been destroyed by those monsters.

The door to my bedroom blew open, seeing my mom in her alliance armor. "Son Come we have to get out of here." She said, fear filling her voice; she quickly picked me up and ran outside. I can see my home crumble as one of the ships fired a red beam at the apartment building. The place was completely leveled, torn to shreds. People who were nearly were completely shock; the fleets above us were supposed to project us, guard us from any threat, but right now, we're at the mercy of those monsters. My mother kept running, dodging any fallen debris or people who were either too stupid or foolish to stay in the city; It was a completely bloodbath. Me and my mother made it to a makeshift evacuation site, but it was chaos. There were alliance soldiers and police that were trying to keep the evacuation in order, but it wasn't really that simple. The soldiers are scrambling to try to get the transports in the air, but are kept being shot down by reapers fighters. It's was fucking mess from the start. I embrace my mother harder when I saw one of the transports being shot down fill with people, _mostly children_.

"Please mom, please don't leave me!" I cry to her as she straps me down in one of the evacuation shuttles. "Please honey, don't make this any difficult." She said, trying comfort me for the last time. "B...b…ut don't go." I sob, trying to convince her to stay with me, but it was no choice. She was marine. She had to stay in help with the evacuation. As she finish with stapling in my seat belt. She looks me with those beautiful blue eyes. I tried to speak, but she spook first. "Please honey; stay strong for me and daddy." She said her last goodbye on the kiss of my forehead. A person comes up to her and leans near her ear, whispering something. She nods and looks back at me. Seeing the sadness and guilt of leaving her child in her eyes, she heads out of the shuttle, and gives a final look before the doors sided close.

The humming of the shuttle engines begin to start. I tried to get rip off the restraints, but I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned my head to only see a reflection of myself off of a visor of alliance solder. The only two words the solder said to me made me stop. "Kid, don't." I listen to what he's say. There was no hope I will never see my mother again. I buried my head into my hands, crying out for mother. I feel the shuttle stuttered as it begins to take off.

I lifted my head from my souk hands. I looked around, seeing solders who are on their omni-tools hearing the reports of the invasion and some who are silently crying like me a few minutes ago, hoping that their families are okay. You know what; I haven't seen other refugees like me, only solders in the shuttle. I ask a soldier (Who has his helmet off.) On my left why there was no one like me on the shuttle. He gives me a cold stare. "Kid…this isn't a evacuation shuttle this is military." He said as he pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pack on his side and lights one up. Wait, why I am in military shuttle, not an evacuation shuttle unless… by god I took her place.

Right before I ask one of the solders where we are heading, a voice came through the intercom. "Approaching stealth frigate, Battle of Washington, ETA two minutes," 'How the hell did we bypass those ships?' I thought. This shuttle must be one of those prototype stealth Kodiaks that I had been hearing from my dad. I signed. I hoped my dad made it out. The last time I spoke to him he was stationed in the second fleet and he was-.

"Oh my god!" said a shock, feminine voice, interrupting my trail of thought.

Everybody, including me, turn our gazes to a female solder; on her arm, an omni tool. Her eyes were bulged in shock. "Salon, what wrong?" One of the solders asked. She turns her gaze from omni tool towards us. "Hackett o-ordered the second fleet to c-cover the retreat." She shuddered. Did I just hear that right? Did admiral Hackett just order—no, sacrifice the second fleet to cover the Third and fifth to retreat. "It can't…be." I murmured. Flesh wave of new Tears form in my eyes, this is it I'm all alone.

"After I found out that my father got killed, I just..." I stop, trying to find the right words to say. "Well I j-just lost it." I turned my gaze from the zebra, trying hard not to cry. The second time in my life, I feel so alone in my life. "Zecora I'm sorry yo..." but I was interrupted when the zebra trolled over and quickly hugged me. Unlike her hoove, her fur was soft as ever. Everything in my body rupture in pain, my legs were barely keeping together, but it didn't matter to me. She was in the same pain as me; I can tell. She begins to cry on my shoulder. Her hooves around me begin to get tighter and tighter each passing minute. "Everything going to be okay zecora," I whispered to her ear, tears begin steaming down my face also. She cries even more. After a full 12 minutes, we both let go. "Thank you I...I needed that." She said as gives me rag to wipe my tears, she gives out a yawn. It must be late, wait, what time is it? "Uh, Zecora what time is it?" she walks towards a nearby window and looks up to the stars. 'Interesting, her kind doesn't use electric clocks; they just use the stars to predict time.' After a few minutes and so, she walks towards me and nuzzled me near my neck.

I blushed, as she continues to nuzzle me I managed to move my hand to her back, despite the pain. I begin to rub her back which seems to make her more tired. Suddenly she collapsed on the ground; I can hear her snorts which sounds a bit adorable. I was able to lift her upon my shoulder. Tell you the truth. She wasn't heavy as I thought but the pain in my legs is starting to get to me, I'll probably collapse. I scanned the room, and finally found her bed. I remove the covers and place her down. I place my hand on her forehead, checking for a temperature. Her forehead is a little hot, but not closes to a fever. Despite the pain in my legs, I search around her home, trying to find a guest room that I could sleep for the night.

I find none. I signed and return to Zecora bed. I can hear her little snoring. It was kindly adorable watching her sleep. I give out a smile. 'She sleeps the same position as my…daughter.' I though, letting out a tear. I miss them so much. I let out more tears I as think of them. I wipe away the tears with my arm; I need to move on; they probably think I'm dead by now when that colony got burn down. As I remove the covers to Zecora bed; I look at Zecora. "She had lost so much." I mutter myself, lying on my back. "I hope she tells me in the morning." I pull the covers over my body, near my chest. And fell into a deep sleep, and to…. the Realm of Dreams.

I woke up to the sound of something cooking. It smells pretty good; like the asari foods back on Thessia. I open my right eye to see what the zebra was cooking. I watched her as she leans over her cauldron. I had notice the plant in her mouth. The plant looks similar to the salarian flowers on sur'kesh with violet and greenest colors. She opens her mouth, letting the flower slip out of it. The flower slowly falls into the pot filled with hot boiling water. When it reaches the surface of the boiling water, it stunk into the water, slowly burning it. I can smell the burning from her bed; it smells…pretty good. I had notice several other flowers with diffident colors. I let out a little smile, those flowers are beautiful.

Then I saw Zecora moving to…me. OH GOD! Did she notice me waking up? I quickly closed my eyelid. I begin to sweat hard; I don't know why. Maybe because I'm too scared or worry, I can hear her hooves approaching. I can hear them echoed across the room. She was getting closer, I can tell. Than the footsteps (or hoovesteps) stop; I open my eyes to see where she had gone to, but instead she right in front of my face. We started into each other eyes. "Uuuuh, Zecora you can back away now." I ask politely. Her cheeks were crimson red and she step back. 'Did she just try attempting to kiss me while I was sleeping?' I let out a small chuckled at that thought. 'No, she wouldn't. We just met yesterday.' I looked at her again.

Her cheeks were still blushing red. Finally I broke the awkward silence.

"Zecora, would you kindly explain to me why you were so close to my face?" Now I had done it. The zebra was now even redder now. I cannot contain my laughter anymore. "So, uh Zecora what are you making over there?" I asked, laughing quietly. Her cheeks were now redder as an apple. I laugh again; this time a little louder. "I was…was…making a … potion for your…injuries." Zecora twiddled her hooves in embarrassment.

"It's all right, Zecora I'm not mad at you, but you do look cute when you blushed." I reassure her. Zecora smiled, but she still had her blush. She removes my covers, only to be shock that the injuries on my chest are healed. I was even shock as well. Was it the potion that Zecora give to me last night? No, no that can't be. She says it only temporary stops the pain, not heal it. I throw the covers over, I smudge from her and walked over to her cauldron. I looked over the cauldron. I see bubbles begin pop and reappeared again. The water is a mid-pink with a touch of red. I crane my neck to see Zecora approaching me. " this stew was supposed to heal your injuries, but it appears that fate had done it before me." She said and gives an applauding smile. "But, it also good for fixing bad omens in the stomach," From that point I took a spoon from a nearly table with zebra-shaped masks.

Oddly enough one of them is like, staring right at me. Creepy man, just creepy; I move my hand, with the spoon in it gasps. I dive the spoon into the cauldron boiling stew. It emerges with only the tasteful stew in the oval shape at the end of handle.

I blow some air to cool the stew down. I move the stew to my lips, feeling the hot steam from it. I took a slip. God, when it made first contact with my tongue, I completely went to heaven. The taste was similar between an asari cuisine and a salarian drink exported from a terminus colony called Esso. I turned to Zecora and said. "Zecora this is the best stew I had in years." I said as I took another slip of this wonderful stew.

She smiled at my reaction to the stew, but I can still felt that something wrong with her. She stares at her refection in the stew, the sadness creeping over her. Tears forming into her eyes; I move my hand to her mane…well her Mohawk, and started petting her to try to ease her sadness.

"You know."

I turn my head towards her, locking my eyes with hers and giving her a smile.

"I never give you my name."

_**Canterlot castle**_

_**OCTOBER, 2 **_

_**9:23 AM**_

The city of Canterlot; with all it might and political power, comes with terrible secrets. Since Canterlot was founded and build during the formation of Equestria. There had been many rumors about it. Some, going back centuries during the first ruling dynasties of the unicorns, the earth ponies and of course the Pegasus were forming. Some rumor says that castle itself is haunted by ones who lived before Celestia and her sister came to rule. Other rumors suggested the city and the castle were much older since some of the areas in the castle date back to one hundred thousand years before the formation. During that time it was drawn of the alicorn civilization before they mysterious disappear.

Celestia, the all mighty goddess of the sun and one of the two last bloodlines of the Saint Shá dynasty, and one of the last few female alicorns on the planet. The only few males of the species were either in exile or in hibernated to restore their powers. Celestia's mother, Queen Faust, was waiting excitedly for her daughter's first marriage, but right before her daughter's big day came, she had fallen ill from a mysterious rare alicorn disease. A few days later, she died on her bed in canterlot. After her death, there had been uproars of rumors surrounded her death. Rumors like that she had been actually poisoned by the enemy of the griffon kingdoms or a rebel group.

Whatever else, it had traumatic effect on celestia and her baby sister, Luna. Every year, on the 10 of October, celestia, herself would raise the sun earlier in honor of her mother on her balcony. Some of the royal guards who were stationed outside of her personal chambers said they could hear their princess crying. She misses her mother dearly. Luna herself took their mother death very greatly, during when she was just a foal, every time she has a nightmare, she would cried out for mother to comfort her, but only celestia came.

"Tia, where's mommy?"

The little one asked as she wipes the tears away from her recent nightmare. Celestia looked down to Luna; her little sister in her arms. The death of their mother, the first queen who would lead their nation, Equestria, through its first dark time from the god of chaos, discord; by using the elements of the harmony, the daughters of Queen Faust were able to trap the wrenched god into stone. The end of his rule has come to an end. Their mother was so proud of their success; their first test into becoming rulers of equestria. But that all came clashing down when mother die. With the crown lost and without a new leader, equestria will soon descend into chaos again.

Celestia look up from her pillow, staring blankly at the wall with her red eyes, thinking what to tell lulu about their mother.

"Tia where mommy?" the little blue filly asked again, tabbing on Tia right hoove. Celestia looked down between her legs,looking down at the filly. "Lulu, mother ..." she stops, a lump formed in her throat, having a hard time to say the words. "Isn't with us anymore lulu." She finally said it. The tears she been holding back since the news had been let out. Luna dealt the worst of it. Her mind cracked, she all alone now, except her sister. Luna let out a cry; brand new batch of tears formed in her eyes. Luna tightens her grip on celestia, the tears soaking on her coat. "Everything is going to okay, Luna." She kisses her sister on the forehead. "Everything going be okay," She whispers near Luna ear.

"Everything is going to be okay."

Celestia let out a sigh. It's been five thousand years after their mother death, and some things haven't changed. She gazed over the land, her land, her home that she had protecting since her mother death from others who will use this land for their own personal gains. "I protect this land for over thousand years and still…"

"Sister!" a voice called out. Celestia gazed over her shoulder, seeing another alicorn similar to her, but smaller with a dark sapphire blue coat with a moderate cobalt blue mane and symbol of the moon for a cutie mark.

"Sister did you felt it?"

"Yes Luna I have." She reply

For the past nine hours, Celestia and her sister had detected a magical spike in the area known as the Everfree forest. Many dare not enter the forest due to its weird properties. Wild breasts roam freely through the forest, but the Royal Guard usually sent patrols along the perimeter of the forest. Still, there many unknowns in the forest; rumors suggests that forest hides vast amounts of resources' that can prove vial to the equestria economy, but the forest still proves too dangerous to send in any expeditions teams to calm theses 'rumored resources'.

The only time that Celestia enter that dreaded forest was when she had to confront her sister, leading up to her banishment, and the return of the nightmare moon. Nightmare defeat brought back her sister and she has forgiven her sister for what she done to her many years ago, but still many old wounds still lingered on between them, until today.

"Sister should we sent the royal guard to investigate this strange magical disturbance?" her sister asked

"Yes Luna, but you and I will accompany them."

Luna looked at her if she was insane. "But, sister we don't know what the magical disturbance is. All we know it might be a dangerous new creature from far off lands, a weapon or all we know the magical disturbance is probable a trap set up by the griffons." Luna stated. Ever the since the brutal betrayed of the griffons kingdoms during the rebellion of nightmare between them and Equestria were high for the last three thousand years until the rise of Zebraica.

Zebraica is border by several zebra city states: Zanzania, Zwanda, Zurundi and Zomalia all stand between the griffon kingdoms and Zebraica total conquest of the known world. The Zebraica leader, Queen Zkemdilim, had serenity been building an army, numbering in the millions, for the past 20 years; hidden in the jungles of her country; she had been planning on conquering the city states in one strike, one blow that will make them surrender, and she will finally invade the griffon kingdoms for humiliate her family and her country in the third century BN (Before Nightmare moon).

On the third of January, 1108AN (After Nightmare Moon), they crossed the border of Zanzania and Zurundi; quickly, they stuck the major cities first, quickly knocking out their main source of Industrial might. Surprising and overwhelming their armies, thanks to saboteurs who sabotage their supply lines and logistics support from their griffin allies. By the end of the week, Zanzania, Zurundi and Zomalia had all fallen, except one.

Due to the efforts of the ancient regiment of Amoral, Zwanda was able to buy itself some time to slow the invasion down; while giving the griffons' time to mobilize their defenses among the border. For the next two days, Zebraica forces lay siege to Zwanda capital, but the defenders (mostly militia) were too deeply entrenched in and around the city. Frontal assaults around the city had all failed, and reports are coming in that griffons are fully mobilized near the western and eastern border of Zwanda, anxious to invade and fight their old zebra enemies.

On the third day of the siege, they finally broke through the city defenses and took the city center, Zwanda has surrender, but street fighting from the resisting civilians ensued and it did cost them dearly, taking the city at the cost of half of a million zebraica troops.

Angry that her plan is ruined; Zkemdilim issued a final order to her generals that will draw Equestria ever closer to war.

**By her order of her majesty, Queen Zkemdilim of Zebraica has order that the people of Zwanda will be 'removed' from their lands for delaying her plan of total conquest of the Zebra Free states and the Griffon Kingdoms. Used any means necessary to remove them- Commander in chief, haloed dark.**

When the order was sent out; the generals were already working at "removing" the populace from Zwanda. Celestia let out a sallow sigh as she remembers that dreadful day when the council calls in a session about it.

**Five hundred sixty years ago after nightmare moon.**

**Royal council chambers**

"Ah, princess it good to see you; Come, come," One of the councilor members greeted, little emotion in his voice as she taken her seat.

All around the circular table was the council of Apollo. The council was formed after the "discord incident" and the death of celestia mother, Queen Faust, the council is handed by the finest minsters, well picked by the princess herself. That of course, they handle the day-day affairs in Canterlot and the nation, from joint finance to foreign policy. Even though the princesses have the most power in the nation; of course their decisions can still be overridden through enough votes in the council, and they can be remove if one of the princess turns corrupt. The last time that the council had removed one of princess was one thousand years ago, during the nightmare incident when Luna jealousy over her sister's day corrupted her, turning her into nightmare moon, so begin the Nightmare rebellion. Secretly Luna had been gaining followers to her "cause", believing that the night is superior than day itself.

Luna had isolate herself from her sister, only her most loyal guards and a few servants knew what she was planning to do. She was so tired of it all, her subjects praising her sister for ending her night and bringing in the day. SO FUCKING SICK OF IT! She would cry in her sleep every time she brings the night, she just tired of it and soon she was at the breaking point of it all, Nightmare Moon. When she refuses to lower the moon and bring in the day, her sister tried to reason with her, but it was too late she was already corrupted by the jealousy and angst, finally turning into the very breast that had been locked in her consciousness all this time.

On the night of September 8, 108NMI (Nightmare moon incident) Luna (Now nightmare moon) and her secretly build army set out to conquer Canterlot and bring an end to her 'perfect' sister's' rule. Celestia shocked and shaken by her own sister betrayed, rally the city's royal guard and fought her in the everfree forest. The battle had lasted entire night, pony against pony, brother against brother, sister against sister, father against son.

The battle was a stalemate from the start, Celestia and nightmare moon were equality matched, their armies too; claymores and halberds were still used in battles before the invention of gunpowder sixty years later. The climax of the battle came; it was morning now, but still dark. The armies of Celestia and Nightmare moon were completely destroy, their corpses slowly decomposing or being eaten by crows; only two figures stood among the dead.

The long hours of battle had stressed them to the breaking point of exhaustion, but either had given up; Celestia armor was covered in blood, her subject's blood. It was completely heartbroken for her, killing the very people that she sworn to protect, but she knew their sacrificed will not be in vain; if she's stops nightmare moon. But the words that been forming in her mind since the beginning of the battle will make her transform from an innocent mare to a cold-hardened one.

_The sons that she killed will never have families of their own._

_The fathers that she killed will never see their children again._

_The sisters that she killed will never see their brothers and fathers again._

_The friendships that she killed will never be healed._

_The mothers that she killed will never comfort their children during their darkest of times._

_The bond with her sister had been destroyed, but not yet broken._

Those dreadful words will haunt her through the rest of her immoral life. About Twenty meters in front of her was nightmare moon, the cold hearted bitch herself had sacrificed the few of her troops to weaken her sister and have time to finish her spell. Before she was turned into nightmare moon, Luna and her sages back at the ruins in the everfree forest were able to create a spell that feeds on the spirits of the dead which makes the user's magic stronger.

She had plan use the spell on the plains of solaria, knowing that her sister will converge on her in the plains, she set out several of her most loyal spies to Canterlot to retrieve the elements of harmony while her sister is preoccupied, but it seems that her sister got way ahead of her when her spies reported that the elements were no longer at Canterlot. She expressed her anger over not getting the elements by executed the spies themselves- but still leaves her sister at a disadvantage.

"So, my dear sister where are the elements? Did you hid with your pathetic ponies or that worthless of a protégé has them?" nightmare smirked, seeing to enrage her sister of mentioning of her protégé, but no reply, just standing there, looking at her with those magenta eyes.

_Hatred_.

_Regret_.

_Sadness_.

that was the message in her eyes, she kept that emotional mask around her subjects since she and celestia took charge. Nightmare smirked again, able to see behind that mask of emotions of her sister.

"What the matter, sister? Too scare to face your little sister. No wonder you will let our moth…" She was interrupted by a blast of magic, but luckily she dodges it.

"DON'T YOU DARE INVOLVE OUR MOTHER INTO THIS, LUNA!" Tia roared out, her once pink hair now turning into an inferno, burning the grass and any nearly corpses, giving them a burn stench. The outburst from her sister didn't made nightmare lose her composer or made her regretting about the insult. Her sister on the other hand was pissed off.

Her once pink hair and tail has turn into inferno of fire that burn anyone or anything near her. She had tried and tried to getting her sister to surrender, but it was no use. She should have acted before this got out of hand. She saw the signs of her sister mental state but instead ignores it and now everypony is paying the price. Can she really do it? Can she really stop nightmare moon. If the elements do failed, then she will have no choice than to put her sister down.

"This is your last chance, luna. Please surrender now and forget this little rebellion." Celestia pea to her sister but it was no use.

"**You think you just order me around like I'm your puppet! But no more; Equestria will either burn by our hoof or fall to our prosperous night! This ends now!**" Nightmare moon horn glowed from moderate cobalt blue to dark black.

'Wait what is she do-." The realization hit Celestia hard. 'No, No, No. she didn't? Luna what have you done.' Celestia look in horror as her beloved sister changed again: Her mane and body are ever darker to her beloved night. Her eyes changed from moderate cyan with the catlike irises to full-blown black, her veins started showing all over her body, illuminating the blackness that taken her mind. A barrier is slowly risen from the ground. All rounded her; the souls of the very dead begin to appear. They began to cry out in pain as they're painfully being pulled towards the barrier

"**You will now know the true power of the night sister!**" Nightmare demonic voiced exclaim. The magical energy in her horn was growing timeous. Nightmare leaned her head, aiming her horn at her sister.

Celestia can feel the raw energy coming from her former sister's horn, Dark magic.

Ever since drawn of pony evolution, magic has always been part of ponykind, even though the earth ponies can't manipulate the fields of magic, but it does give them an edge in growing crops faster due to their connection to the land. The Pegasus can use magic, but very little to help them lift objects and walk on clouds, but helps them manipulate the weather around them, but their unicorn counterparts; it's a different story.

Unicorns are the masters of magic, able to create and use spells for the betterment of their society or their own gains, but also makes them have a superiority attitude, believing that others that have none or less magic are inferior to them. Even though they are masters of magic, it didn't stop them from experimenting it.

The experiments Officially creating the first forms of dark magic.

Starswirl the bearded had warm in his research that magic is too unstable to experimenting on, but his warnings' had fell on death ears. Already, there been reports of magical experiments in Canterlot and other unicorn cities. Already the magic is slowly corrupting the people, turning them into monsters and experiments on live subjects. The practices were finally put down after a kidnapping attempt on the unicorn king daughter, Princess Platinum, from a cult called the 'black hoof'. The books and leaflets about dark magic were either burned or lock away in the royal archives in Canterlot, keeping from those who will use it for evil.

But right now this evil has created one of the most powerful dark spells in ponykind, and it pointing at Celestia.

"Goodbye sister. Say hello to mother for me." Nightmare laughed. Laughed at her sister; laughed at the one who raised her since her birth. Time seems to slow down as nightmare horn fires the void of dark magic at her sister. Celestia arched her neck and her horn glowed, quickly bringing up a shield around her as the height of the blast made contact. The spell that Celestia used was one of the most powerful shield spells created by starswirl the bearded to protect the user from the most powerful spells and physic attacks but dark magic can completely overcome these spell if the user has a strong, and that strong mind is Celestia.

'_It's hurts so much_!' Celestia thought as her mind barley holds off the dark magic that breaking the shield. The force of dark magic is throwing timeous force at the shield, staining her energy to the breaking point. She has to act fast or all Equestria will all fall under her eternal night. In the aftermath, the shield was still up, but barely holding, showing cracks among it. The energy inside the sun goddess is barely holding out. Soon or later she will collapse from the ongoing dark magic attacks from her sister. Nightmare Moon on the other end is growing stronger every minute, slowing eating on the souls of the dead.

'_By the stars, this...this is magnificent. The power in this spell feels so good_.' Nightmare thought. The spell has worked so perfectly that her sister is barely hanging on. That artifact from my mother old room in the everfree forest ruins had provided greatly for my spell. Soon my sister will be defeated and a new age of equestria will begin; THE NEW LUNA RE-.

"**THE DARKNESS MUST NOT BE BREACHED!**"

'Wait w-' her trait of though was interrupted as an unspeakable pain erupted in her mind.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHH, PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!" She pleaded. Her now demonic voice was a whimper voice that calls out from the unknown voice, losing her concentration on the spell. The barrier around her has disappeared. The souls that feel her power are disappearing, awaiting their turn to the afterlife.

"**YOU WILL NOT TAKE WHAT IS MINE!**"

The pain continues, slowing coursing through her body. The veins on her body disappeared. Altering her body to her former self; she pleaded to the one who was making the pain in her head, but it was no use, the pain increases each second, she screams for her mother to stop.

Celestia was confused and horridly that was set upon her: her sister in pain. One second she was nearing victory over her and next, crying out in pain and yelling at nothing in the fog state air. She walks slowly towards her sister, hearing her pleading.

"Please by the gods, make…. This…. stop." Nightmare whimper, Turing her head left and right to ignore the pain, but to no effect.

"**THE MAGICS INSIDE YOU WILL NOT PROTECT YOU FOR LONG, ALICORN. YOUR HARVEST WILL SOON COME AGAIN TO YOUR WORLD!**"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, SISTER PLEASE SAVE US!" Luna called out between her screams; blood begin running down her nose, the pain was getting worst; if this keeps up her mind will be gone and will become a lifeless shell within the next few minutes.

Celestia just stood there, watching the events unfolded. The once powerful dark alicorn who had fought her to the end was now a whimpering mess. She calls for her help, but can she do, she nearly exhaustion from the fight to bring up any healing spells, but what about the elements. 'No' she shank that though away. There still a chance without banishing her, but that will lead to her execution.

Before Celestia had confronted Nightmare moon, the council of Apollo had asked her to bring Luna in and execution for her crimes against Equestria. Of course she was against this since she had spoken out that Nightmare moon was a possessed demon. After a long (almost violence) debate, they agreed with her plan to talk her sister down, but if Luna fails to seek reason, than the elements have to be used to stop her. But some of the council members still wanted her to be put to death, but the decision is final. They will sit and wait in the council chambers in Canderlot, waiting if Celestia's plan will work.

'_But it almost did_.' Celestia had hid the elements in a hollow tree before the battle in case she was not able to convince her Luna into backing down this rebellion. She could have use elements strike her down to save thousands of her people, but still there were too many unknowns if it will work; she would be most vulnerable when using all of magical power on elements when trying to defeat nightmare moon. But standing there, watching her sister crying out in timeous pain. It makes her not to use the elements on her, it not going to kill her, only banishing her. Can she really do I-.

"PLEASE SISTER, HELP US! THE PAIN! IT KILLING US!" blood to drip from Luna ear sockets.

Celestia horn glowed. Appearing right beside her in a hexagon formation above her was the elements of harmony.

_The element of Honesty- the truth can help others, but the truth can also hurt others _

_The element of Kindness- kindness will always get us through our darkest of times, but people with kindness will take advantage of others for their own gain. _

_The element of Laughter- laughter can dame out the sadness in all of us, but it is crude to others. _

_The element of Generosity- giving up personal items to others is saint at heart, but people can exploit that._

_The element of Loyalty- putting your friends first instead of yourself is the greatest thing to friendship, but your friends can betrayal will hurt you the most._

_The element of Hope- Hope is the most powerful form of friendship; it helps bring hope, kindness, laughter, loyalty, generosity, and honesty to those will lost the will, but can also bring great evils. _

Celestia horn glow even more blighter than ever before. Her wings spread out, slowly hovering off the ground. The elements had double her magical power to defeat any enemy that threatens her kingdom. The elements are like living constructs, choosing anyone that follows the true values of friendship. Celestia and Luna had followed these values since their first battle with Discord, The breasts of the everfree forest, The Panther wars, and griffon raiders. Anything world can throw at us; they always triumph against the evils of their world, but now the next evil that world thrown is her own sister.

The elements begin to react from Celestia horn, the energies inside them spread to Celestia horn than to her whole body. With the final stoke of a thought, the energy was released. A beam of Celestial light ascended towards the skies, blighting the sky above. In Canterlot, citizens' step out of their boarded up houses looked up to the sky, confused and amaze.

The beam begins to descend towards its target: Luna, still in pain by the oncoming screams by the mysterious entity in Luna head. As the beam descending closer and closer to its target, luna was able to turn her head of the beam that was going to trap her in her moon; was she afraid, being trapped there for possibly a thousand years or millions of years, missing all of those holidays that Equestria will have will be missed, her sister birthdays, the passing of the loves one of the extended family.

Those are the things that she would missed, but why in her mind she feels _whole_; maybe it do to be alone in that Godforsaken castle for years or admitted guilt for what she had done.

She had never this kind of feeling before: _guilt _

In her years severing her mother's dynasty, she never considered herself that rude to others, well her subjects won't openly complained about this to her older sister about this 'un-royalty' behavior.

Her older sister ignored the complains from the elite of Canterlot (A.K.A, the corrupt jackasses of Canterlot.) and had said that luna is just young and needs time to get use of her responsibilities in how to running a country.

Even though Luna was consider very old to everypony in Equestria, she was still young (about 15 years old in alicorn terms.) to her sister eyes and the rest of the extended family. This has given her a 'I'm big mare' attitude to her sister.

From asking her sister of stop being overprotective over her and of course having guards at her side every time (except the bedroom.) she heads out to Canterlot. This kind of annoyance has made her kind of a social outcast to her subjects.

Every time that either Celestia or some big up noble throwing a big party on how big his status (and his wealth) is. She always hides behind her sister's back to avoid the glares from the partly goers, but they don't do that when in front of her sister of course.

Maybe that why she isolated herself in the castle. To get away from the dislikes and the rumors, spreading by nobles that hate her, flowing around that she a witch that summons spells to bring demons from Tartarus to make night a little more 'prefect'. Luna, already nearing depression, was shock and betrayed by her trusted subjects.

Maybe that why she turn into Nightmare moon; to get revenge on them, to _kill _those who made her this way, but now she's doesn't know what she fighting about. Was this entire rebellion just something that will ease the pain inside, but now it's all wasted?

Now she, slowly being killed by that..._demon. _The only another way to rid of a demon was elements of harmony; she will accept her banishment, yet she will become deeply insane without interaction with her subjects.

As she stares at the beam descending ever closer to her, the demon inside her screams at her even more.

"**THE WEAPONS OF THE PROTHEANS WILL EVER HELP YOU RECLAIM WHAT YOUR RACE HAD LOST. THE HARVEST WILL CONTINUE!**"

The beam has reached its target; the rainbow color beams surrounds her body, changing her form to her original self. The demon let out terrifying shriek as its losing it connection to her mind. She looks up to her sister, despite the brightness from the elements, she can her...crying, shedding tears down her cheeks on the blood soaked ground.

Using what left of vocal energy, she shouted to her sister.

_"I'll be coming home soon, sister."_

than in flash of light she was gone. Nightmare moon was gone; Luna was gone. Equestria was finally safe, but at the cost of a dear relative and a love one.

Celestia; with the last of energy exhausted, finally collapsed, hitting the ground hard. She painfully moves her head, looking at the moon. Her _sister moon_. The moon changed, showing a constellation of craters, forming a face of a alicorn.

_Her sister._

_Than it all went black. _

(Author note: Wow that chapter took months to finish. I hoped you readers enjoy the first chapter of this first story that I create on this site. Now excuse me, I'm going to bed.)

EDIT: I'm already writing chapter 2, but due to school ( and my life.) the next chapter might take longer to finish.

_._


	2. Prologue Part 2

_(This chapter is a flashback. Just trying to clear that up.)_

"I think she's waking up, doctor."

"Good tell the Council, and someone please get her a glass of water."

As the two voices trotted out of her room, Celestia slowly open her eyes, meeting only a bright light from nearly; her eyes adjusted. She craned her head towards the room's window. It was still dark and it was also was beginning raining.

'Still dark' she weakly thought. The battle with her sister had worn her out to the extent of her powers. She opened her eyes and then closes them. She does this for a couple of minutes until the door to her room creaked open.

"Your majesty, I brought some water for you," A nurse called out, opening the door with a class of water in the nurse's magical aura.

The nurse hovers the water near Celestia's mouth. She arched her head towards the glass, taking a slip. After she was done, the nurse places the water near a desk next to Celestia bed.

"Is there anything you need, your majesty?" The nurse asked.

Celestia nodded. "Yes, I was wondering where am I, and where my sister is? My memory is a little fuzzy." The nurse went wide eyed.

"Is there something wrong, nurse?" Celestia asked.

"No, no there nothing wrong you're in canterlot, your majesty...I...I need to see the doctor." The nurse quickly responded and trotted out of her room, leaving a confused, Injured, princess.

'_Well that was strange._' She thought as she looked towards the window again. The rain begins to battle against the window as thunderstorms crackled through the darken skies. Celestia could see the lanterns hovering in the air by their owners as they tried to get out of the storm.

Canterlot had changed a lot in the past thousand years since she and her sister had moved from that Castle in the Everfree forest. She remembers the time when she and her sister used to play in the forest with their mother and the _Guardian_.

She stops at that thought. Tears began to appear in her eyes as the recent memories of her mother's friend begin to set in.

_Ever sense me and my sister were born in our old home in the Everfree forest; before our mother and our family abandoned the castle when the war with Discord was drawing to a close. I never wonder why our mother and uncle, Lunar, left the place. There was nothing wrong with it (well except living in a spooky forest.) they had never explain why we have to leave, maybe because of the Guardian's recent passing._

_The Guardian was...different than us at the castle; our Guardian that...man._

_What a strange name for his species, Man._

_Our mother will always tell us about him on how she met him in a zebra village (present day Zwanda) near the borders of the griffon tribes, working with the chieftain on fixing water well during a drought, during one of her travels with her brother to search for an alicorn artifact that was hidden there._

_She never told me or my sister about this artifact she and my uncle had kept in our former home; she and the guardian always warns us to never go near it, even the door itself was not to be open by us._

_Yet I and my sister had grown close to the guardian over our years as fillies, even one time, during dinner in the great dining hall. Luna accidentally called him 'papa' when she asked for more water. It was...weird at the time. It was first time I ever heard Luna say that to our Guardian. It was very awkward at the dinner table, luckily our uncle wasn't home at the time, and he was out, getting supplies from nearly towns near the forest; every time I see him and the Guardian together, they always...glared at each other. Sometimes they'll fight; they don't always fight around me or Luna though; after the dinner, my mother and the Guardian to our study. I can't ever hear what they're_

_I don't know why they fight all the time; sometimes I can hear my uncle said about him being a negative influence on me and Luna. The Guardian has never told us to do anything bad; he just plays with us almost all the time, well when our mother calls to him in having a little talk in her bedroom. Their talks would last for hours on end; I don't why they have these talks. When their 'talks' ended in the middle of the night, the Guardian will always come out first, hearing his heavy footsteps, exhausted and sweating showed on his face. Later mother would come out as well, exhausted and sweating as the Guardian; her legs were shaking, barely handing on. I never understand why she has these talks with him._

_Is she asking him to move something in her room? Need someone to talk to about personal problems that her uncle couldn't help? Or maybe mother is...in a relationship with-._

Her train of though was interrupted when the cracks of thunder begin again in the ongoing storm, illuminated her room. She wasn't scared of the lighting, despite her young. The Pegasus had moved in clouds to clear the...blood from across Equestria. The bodies of the solders have been retrieved from the battlefields all across the kingdom.

_The kingdom will mourn for its children, but it will not give in to chaos._

_The mothers will weep for their sons and husbands, yet their souls will not be broken._

_The children will cry for their parents, but they will always be with them._

_The people will suffer from this for generations to come, yet we still prevail._

_Song: Johnny cash- hurt  
_

_I hurt myself today to see if I still feel pain._

Yet except the one goddess in her hospital bed, weeping liked a child. The memories of her sister flood through her mind.

_I focus on the pain, the only thing that real. _

_The needle tears a hole, the old familiar sting._

She remembers the time when she plays with her sister in the Everfree, playing tag, laughing and having fun.

_Try to kill it all the way, but I remember everything._

_What have I become, my sweetest friend._

The memories of the battle return to her mind, she weeps even more.

_Everyone I know goes away in the end._

She remembers her royal guards getting killed during the battle; she remembers every one of them through her years as their leader. One of them was father, a brother, a son to someone, yet they will never experience their entire lives.

_And you will have my empire of dirt._

As old memories flow through her mind, she remembers the drama of polices in the throne room, Barley anything could get down and she and her sister are powerless to stop it. If only mother wasn't killed by poison, she would find a way to stop it.

_I will let you down. I will make you hurt._

The stresses of a princess ruling a country is hard on her, yet the suffering of ponies had ended.

_I wear this crown of thorns upon my liar's chair. _

_Full of broken thoughts I cannot repair._

The families of the soldiers, who died in battle, want Celestia to be bringing them back, but no. The goddess can't. She is not a true god. After that they lost faith in her.

_Beneath the stains of time, the feelings disappear._

Time has passed so long for the sisters. Their childless nature had been long gone; a new nature has overcome them. Leading a nation, their feelings had been long gone now.

_You are someone else. I am still right here. _

_What have I become, my sweetest friend. _

_Everyone I know goes away in the end._

A new batch of tears formed in Celestia's eyes, streaming down her cheeks. The memories keep on flowing through her now, She finally realized now that is her fault for her sister downfall. The ignorance of her actions had broken her connection to the elements of Harmony. Now the elements will be sit idly at the abandoned ruins of her once childhood home.

They will wait in slumber until they would be awakened by six ponies that follow the true values of friendship, even if Equestria would come under threat, they will not help.

_And you could have it all, my empire of dirt. _

_I would let you down. I will make you hurt. _

_If I could start again, a million miles away._

Celestia looked out to the window again, seeing the rain had stopped and the clouds moving away, revealing her sister moon. More tears leaked out of her eyes.

"Luna...I'm...so...S-sorry." She wiped her eyes with her covers, attempting to remove any evidence of her crying.

_I would keep myself._

She stops when a knock came to her door.

"Celle, may I come in?" A familiar voice asked.

"Yes you may...Aunt Europa."

The door slowly opens; her aunt slowly walks towards her bed, concern in her eyes.

Her aunt had those green e sapphire eyes that made anyone feel…welcome. Her fur is dark with stripes around her legs, due to her mother's zebra ancestry. Her mane was dark olive with bits of red steaks in it.

"I have…heard about luna." She said, blowing the bits of hair getting into her eyes. Celestia didn't reply, just looking down to her hooves.

"It's not your fault, my child."

_Silence_

"Speak to me, Celle. What happened?"

_More silence_

"Please, Celle talk-." She was interrupted as her niece throws her arms around her, crying on her shoulder. Europa rubs her hooves to her niece's back, comforting the poor child.

'I have lost a friend, my stepsister, and now my niece.' Europa thought sadly as the suppressed memories of the Guardian funeral during the war with Discord. Her stepsister's during the aftermath of the war, and now her niece, lulu is banish to the moon.

She looks through the window, seeing the moon; now covered with the face of Princess of the Night, looking down on her.

"_Lulu please be strong up there._" She muttered as a single tear shed on her face.

_I would find a way. _


	3. The war with the Zebras and the human

_Five hundred sixty years after Nightmare moon. _

_Royal council chambers_

_Twelve hours after the invasion of the Zebra states. _

"Lumber exports have increased 30% since last year and trade routes have doubled with the…griffon nations." The minister of trade spat the last words with venom, but was quick to hide it. "But there was also been a decreased in imports from the nation of Gargolia (Gargoyles) due the nation reorganized of its government from a Hegemony to a Hierarchical Meritocracy due to their civil war." He stated, observing around the gazes from the other Council members. Most of them (except the princess), including the minster of war were in deep thought. The civil war in Gargolia was a success. The Apollo council knew that the civil war was imminent, thanks to the minister of Intelligence were able to locate two rebel groups that are currently fighting a guerrilla war with the fifth royal army, command by General Darkwing of the sabertongue family in the royal house of the supreme Autarch, Gargula XIV. Secretly, the equestrians were equipping the two rebel groups since the beginning when Gargolia close it borders to outsiders ten years ago. Of course this Equestria the perfect time to get rid of the land's current government.

Since first contact of the Gargoyles two hundred years after the Nightmare moon incident, they became sort of a menace to Equis and griffin traders along its nation southern coast since they harbored pirates. Gargolia is border in the north and the northeast by the Zebra states and the griffon kingdoms. A mountain provides a natural barrier between them and the griffons; of course the mountain is disputed territory, and sometimes a few border clashes, but it doesn't explode into full-scale war between the two. Of course Equestria had posted several embargos on the Gargolia to stop harbored pirates and practicing it, but the embargos do little to stop it since their pirate acts had earn them a lot of revenues for them.

So the only way to stop these acts upon their trade routes was sending in unicorns, using speech infused magic to influence the populace into rebellion. It worked perfectly; for the past two years, the council was getting daily reports of protesting, rioting in the major cities and across the countryside. The Gargolia hegemony responded brutality by crackdowns on the populace. Martial law was ordered across the nation. Anyone who breaks curfew will be shot, but the protesters wouldn't give in to a dictatorial power that will exploit them. Only a tiny stark can make the entire country explode into war, and exactly what Equestria wanted.

"Well Gentleman, it seems that Operation: FAMES OF THE Goddess is a success. The Gargoyles are not going be problem to our traders any longer. Now than onto other businesses; minister of agriculture, sugar tooth, would you like to report your team's latest findings into expanding into th…" He was interrupted when the great oak doors of the royal council chambers was swung open, revealing a unicorn royal guard with a scroll in his mouth, even princess Celestia broke her train of thought to see what was going on.

"Guard what is the meaning of this, snow runner?!" the minister of trade asked, anger and confusion in his old voice.

The guard, now known as snow runner, regains his breath from running across the castle to deliver this message to the council.

"Councilors and…Princess Celestia I have a…message from the….embassy in tehmane."

The councilors, including the princess were confused. Why was the embassy at Zwanda sending a message this urgent? They know that was unrest was spreading through people of Zwanda due to claims of government mismanagement and corruption, but if the unrest turns into riots in the streets, the embassy would be going into lockdown and supported by 2 regiments o royal guards.

Snow runner removes the scroll from his mouth, using his left hoof, and encases it in his green magical aura, sending it to the highest power in the room: Princess Celestia.

Celestia caches it in her magical aura, taking off the seal of the message. She begins to read. The councilors (including the guard) held their breath, knowing what inside the letter could lead a series of events that could either destroy their kingdom or stopping a threat, as they studied the princess facial features.

Celestia was…shocked by the contents in this message. Zebraica has invaded the Zebra Free states in a thousand years, since her mother, Lauren Faust and the Guardian had leaded an army of liberating their lands from Zebraica three thousand years ago, and now they're now out for revenge, at the expense of the Free states' people, but of course Equestria isn't with an alliance with the Free states, despite the fact that her mother and her…_friend_ literate them, yet that doesn't stop her subjects' businesses

The businesses in Equestria have deep interests in the Zebra Free states, generating over five million bits overseas, but there are other problems that get her solders to the zebras if she has to intervene; the trouble relations with the zebras.

When first contact with the zebras was made through traders sailing twenty eight thousand miles from the griffon kingdoms to one of the first cities that was near the coast: Manehatten

Manehatten at the time was a small village controlled by the earth pony tribe until the founding of the nation, Equestria, on the coast of the Mare Pacificum Ocean. The village location was the perfect place for traders to rest and sell their wares on the markets, allowing trade to flourish across Equestria early years. The village grew from a population of five hundred to twenty thousand in short of five years, due to the ever-glowing economic expansion and the growing immigrants, ranging from griffons getting way from the wars in their homelands. Zebras, escaping from their masters in Zebraica, or economic clashes from the Zebra Free States. This made Manehatten turned into one of the largest cities on the east coast of Equestria. The nation's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) was growing continuous, bringing in gold in the commons and goods being shipped out across other emerging cities like Fillydelphia and trottingham, but usually prosperity and greater jobs to others can bring out the worst of ponies. Corruption and xenophobic feelings begin to emerge from ponies or the 'nativists' as they like to be called, have been protesting about the influx of immigrants moving in. When their voices were ignored by the officials were being bridled by the companies that use the cheap labor to feed their coffins from cheap goods; they rioted, destroying everything in their path, murdering everyone that had connections to the government and giving jobs to immigrants.

When the riots were finally put down by the 33th Royal Guard regiment stationed near the city. About one-third of the city was destroyed in the fighting, and about two thousand seven hundred ponies, griffons, zebras had died. The Incident in Manehatten had turned it into diplomatic shitstorm when the news reaches in the griffons and zebra lands. Across the Griffon Kingdoms and Zebras states, riots have broken out across the capitals' all across griffon and zebras nations. Rioters have hang dummies lookalikes of the princess being hanged and lighting up from the torches of the rioters. The embassies were under siege from the rioters that were attempting into breaking down the gates, and take their revenge for their fallen brothers and sisters in Manehatten, yet they were put down by the National Guard and militias before any of them starting a war. Despite their anger towards the "Manehatten riots" the governments weren't as foolish as the rioters were. They know that a war with the Equestria would be foolish and of course they were scared of their goddess power wrath; afraid that she will do the same thing to them as she did with Nightmare moon a thousand years ago. One week later while Manehatten was being rebuilt, they sent in a compromise to settle this incident before their people demanded their governments to declare war on Equestria; their compromise demands that Equestria pays reparations for the killings of their people, and ordered the arrests of the leaders that organized the riots. Celestia accept most of the demands since she herself was disgusted by her subjects' actions against the other races of her home, but the reparations that she going to have a hard time paying since most of the money is diverted towards social services; yet this is a temporary sacrifice for Equestria.

She will not get her ponies into another war; Not another repeat of the Nightmare moon Rebellion. So the compromise was settled; there will be no war, but it will leave a bad taste in the collective ponies' mouth in interspecies relations. Of course this turn of events help form a terrorists group called the PSG, Pony superiority group, created by the unicorn noble named, Vox Populi. Their goal and belief that the ponies are the superior race that is destined to rule the world, the group believes that the Princess has betrayed the people, and should be overthrown in order for a new government to bring back their species to their former glory. Their membership went up from ponies that were involved in the Manehatten riots, ponies that lost their jobs to immigrants; even some in government had supported them. The group begins to organize protests in several cities, including Canterlot. They called out for the Princess to step down from her corrupted government, and be exiled. She refuses to, and sent in her guard to stop the protests. The protests quickly turned into riots when one of the protesters fired a pistol at the guards; which the guards fired back.

The riots were short lived as the protesters quickly surrender despite outnumbering the guards. The royal guards were able to track down the leaders of the PSG by using a memory spell on a few of the rioters; by the end of the week, The PSG were all but destroyed, their leaders were either imprisoned or had killed themselves than rather be captured. Vox Populi and the rest of his followers retreated to only place that anyone can't go out for his group: The Everfree forest; He and his group enter the forest. Never to be seen again. Celestia had stopped reading the parchment, and gaze her eyes around the room. The councilors and snowrunner were staring at her, sweat going down their necks.

She signed and put the parchment on the wooden table. She took a deep breath and let it out, her chest rising and falling into a pattern.

"Zebracia has invaded the Free States."

She final spoke out. After she says those words, it all went to hell from there.

_Khar'shan_

_Year 2210_

_Twenty four years after the Reaper war._

_Turian FOB, near the capital of the Batarian Hegemony._

"Spirits help us in our darkest hour to defeat our enemies. Give my turian brothers and sisters the strength to overcome them; Help us. Help us in our battles against those who would take lives as their own property."

Prometheus opened his eyes, gazing around the trench that he was snaring with a couple of soldiers, with a mix of turian, krogan, and oddly enough…. a batarian. The nearest soldier near him was a turian had black eyes with almost brown metallic carapace with the hint of black paint on his face.

"Atticus has there been any news on the batarians front?" Prometheus asked, slide in a thermal clip in his M-96 Mattlock. Atticus snorted. "If you mean what left of their command, than yeah." To makes his point, he got up from his sitting position. Took out his sniper rifle and looked down on his scope. "The northern continents had fallen, but there still heavy fighting near the western and southern continents, but the batarians loyalists are being routed due to part of the rebel _friends_ . He nodded to the lone batarian at the far end of the trench.

'_Thank the spirits, this war almost over.' _Prometheus though, happy that he will finally see his wife and his newborn asari daughter, Selene, the little one was born several months before the battle of Khar'shan. She had sent pictures of his little one clawing around in his step father's estate on Palaven or playing with his pet varren, Cerberus, in the backyard. That always brought a smile to his face while out on the front lines.

_Even in the darkness of times. A child will always lift the spirits of those who will fight on to the end._

Prometheus let out a sigh, as his turian friend try to find a batarian loyalist for target practice.

Bang!

Atticus fired his M-97 Viper, only one shot, making a thundering sound.

'_Just the way he likes it.' _Prometheus thought.

His friend lifted his head form his scope, cursing in his naïve language.

"Dammit."

"Miss again, Atticus?" Prometheus smirked at his friend's little misfired.

"Shut up victus." Atticus aggravate mutter under his breath, but the krogan next to him hear what he said, and just smirked.

"I believe that was your eighteen missed since we were deployed to this rock." The krogan laughed at his comrade misfortune.

"Which means you're getting old." The krogan laughed even more as he loads a chip to his claymore shogun.

"Alright you two, cut it you too." Prometheus ordered. He knew that Atticus and the krogan had been rivals since they first lay eyes during the battle of Lorek, and they have a history of fighting between them, during their shore leaves on the Citadel.

So Prometheus wonder who in the right mind pitted these two in the same trench beats him, because if either one of them starts a fight during the battle. It would be bloody, _very bloody. _Yet, during their service on the war front. They made truce that fighting during combat operations is forbidden, only on short leaves. 

Atticus just growled and looks down his scope again while the krogan just smirked and his three-finger hand to his pouch on his leg.

He undo's the zipper and takes out a bottle of…ryncol.

'_Really, Mordin, drinking during the final stages of this goddamn w—' _

His thoughts were interrupted by an artillery shell and shouting from the other side.

'_Oh fuck me.'_ He mentally cruse, as he bought his rifle pointing at the approaching enemy charge.

'Please, spirits. Make sure me and my comrades make it back home.' He mentally prayed as he fired a three-shot burst at the approaching horde, taking a head off a barbarian solder.

'please project us all.'

(Author Note: I hope you like cliffhangers.)

EDIT: I like to clear here that Shepard isn't going to be in the story, only to appear in flashbacks and be mention.

So stop asking.


	4. Contact and Revelations

_The everfree forest_

_Year: 2th year since the redemption of the moon/ 2486 CE (Council era) _

_Prometheus POV_

_9:35 A.M _

After me and the zebra, Zecora, had breakfast. I starlet looking through my bag to see if it has a miniature distress beacon or some clothes I could wear since mine are torn up by that damn manticore. Seriously this place, it…it feels like I'm in some sort of a six-year old girly dreamland.

'_Ugh_'

I pray to the spirits that the locals have a spaceport or I may have to spend the rest of my immortal life here until they found a way to achieve spaceflight, but now I'm stuck here; if I can find a FUCKING BEACON IN THIS BAG!

I'm so damn tired of getting into these situations like this.

Luckily, there were some spare clothes, and bar rations.

That soup that Zecora made isn't going to last me forever.

Finally I put out my IPod to listen to music while I rummage through my bag. I click it on, and scroll thought my list of favs.

I picked Serpentine.

_See the dogs come running  
Smelling blood now  
to an open sore  
on a parasite  
Countless hearts have fallen  
Hard to number  
Damnation's whore  
is looking for a victim tonight_

Good thing I had headphones since zecora went to a town named….Ponyville on the outskirts of the forest to get ingredients for a healing potion, because I don't have the time to explain to her about a device that plays music. Though she was a lot happier this morning than what happen last night.

The pistol that I had was on one of the shelf that she kindly put, despite knowing the purpose of the device.

I went to the hut's restroom with the spare clothes with me, closing the door; I stop my IPod and remove my headphones. I set it on a counter as I change out of my shirt and pants, leaving me almost naked except my underwear, exposing my pale skin and filmy build body as I put on a long sleeve shirt that is red except the sleeves are black. My pants' color is orange with lines running down are colored magenta.

I'm really not into fashion sense unlike my another daughter, Victoria, she really into fashion that sometimes she used me to try out her latest fashion (Not female clothes).

I could have refused to do it, but she usably she gives me those puppy eyes look that she does when she was a little kid.

I always give in into that.

'_Ugh'_

After that was done, I look over at myself in the mirror, seeing the dire blood and dirt in my hair, some of the blood mixing in with the brown markings on my face; seeing there no form of a sink. I opened the door and walked around to find a bottle of water to wash off the dirt and dried blood.

Finally found one on the lower shelves near a window to the forest, giving me a clear view of the fauna out there. From what can tell, this forest is very dense, enough to hinder anyone view without a light source and the predators that can hide in the bushes. I don't know if its morning or not since the sun's beams can't reach thought the dense tree lines.

'_Even prefect for snipers; waiting for hours, looking for the enemy to come,'_ I thought, as I remember one of my Battles with the Batarians in the jungles of a Turian colony, Septimus, named after the general That fought in the Reaper war.

I grab the bottle and went back to the restroom, shutting the door again. I stand in front of the mirror again, turning my head over a nearly bucket. I turned the bottle over my head, pouring down the water; making contact with my hair.

I moved my left hand on getting the dirt out, well most of it if zecora had a shower.

The dried blood is going to be a major problem if I enter town with blood on my face, it will give them the wrong idea to attack me.

After feeling there no more water, I set the bottle on the counter next to my IPod. I let out a sigh as I looked on the small musical device.

Ever since I was a kid, I was so interested in 20th century technology that during my free time, I could search the extranet, and tried to buy some old technology from some Citadel tech store's websites.

I brought this IPod about one hundred fifty years ago at an auction sale on Illium; luckily I outbid a Salarian tech junkie by biding six hundred thousand credits for the damn thing.

I laugh a little when how stupid I was, spending all that money on a small device that can only play music.

I grab my IPod and my torn up clothes and turned the doorknob. I open the door and put my old clothes in the bag while continue to search for my Omni-tool.

I began to sing along while trying to find my Omni-tool. Damn it, why did they have to make the drive so small for portable use?

"_With an angry soul  
And a wicked design  
your will cannot endure  
and your heart is torn away_

_I was caught up in the moment  
We were alone and  
You seemed to harness the light  
Even though I felt cold inside  
When you told me it would be alright  
I had given up control and  
I didn't focus hard enough to see  
The warning signs  
Your heart is serpentine_

Damn what I'm becoming  
One of them now  
Just an opened door  
On an endless night  
Dark desire burning  
In my blood now  
How can I be sure?  
I don't know if I'll be able to fight."

I finally found the freaking thing under my laptop, putting it out of my bag; luckily it didn't suffer any damage from the laptop weight. I examine the black drive as I moved it around the front. The back, It slides, and the bottom. There no scratch marks or cracks on it. No external damage, it looks good as new.

(I'm just speculating here how to put an omni-tool on, so don't kill me for this.)

I swiftly move the drive towards my arm, watching as the drive magnetize on my right forearm. I stutter as I feel the cold metal of the drive on my skin.

Ignoring the coldness, I continue to sing the song.

"_With a tortured soul  
And an honest design  
My will cannot endure  
As my heart is torn away_

I was caught up in the moment  
We were alone and  
You seemed to harness the light  
Even though I felt cold inside  
When you told me it would be alright  
I had given up control and  
I didn't focus hard enough to see  
The warning signs  
Your heart is serpentine"

I stop the song again, as I moved my right arm around to see if the omni-tool is working right.

*_ping_*

My forearm and my hand were quickly enveloped in a reddest light, revealing a holographic screen, also the holographic keyboard need to type in the correct password to unlock its functions.

_++Please enter password++_

_Athena_

_++Password accepted++_

_++Welcome back __General Prometheus Bychovskaya-Victus++_

I sighed as my Omni-tool ping again, knowing that it allow me full access. I moved one of my fingers to the screen, clicking on it. The seal of the turian military appeared as the background, with several programs and folders on the screen as well. I click on each one of them to see if they're working right.

The hacking abilities are clean and not damage, but I don't think the locals have any electronics that I can hack into.

The comms are working fine, but needs a little calibrating to get any signal out here.

My personal stuff, mostly my pictures and videos of my family and friends were not label corrupt.

I closed the omni-tool down, seeing that there are no viruses harming it. I sat down and shifted my legs into a 'v' sitting position near one of the windows, feeling the heat on my back. The warmness feels good as I take out one last thing from my bag.

_The picture of my…wife and my daughters. _

It was me, my wife, and our three kids taking a picture in the wards, showing the view of the station arms in the background. The Picture was taken in the year twenty two filthy during our trip to the Citadel, even though I been on that ancient station a couple of times with my meetings with council to conduct Strategies on patrols guarding the ever expanding mass relay network while planning or raided a couple of pirate or slaver dens in Skyllian Verge, yet it was the first time I actually took a vacation on that station; me and my wife laughed when we saw our daughters reaction to see the station for the first time.

After the battle of earth, the Citadel was a mess. Pieces of it arms were scatter across the orbit of earth. We hadn't even started to repair it when we were finishing repairing the Charon relay; with the help of the surviving keepers, we were able to repair the power and the arms in record time. Luckily the station had some sort of a control room that uses Element Zero thrusters that helps move it to earth, during the final moments of the war. After it was completely repaired, we moved it back to its original position in the Serpent Nebula; of course it did come with a few changes to it. The fleets that guard the relays to it had been doubted, and security has also been doubted to combat the ever-growing crime rate that had been rising due to economic overtures after the second war with the terminus systems.

It was cute when Victoria tried to disturb one of the Keepers while we were walking around the Presidium, though she did have gotten scared when it snarled at her.

Of course I and my wife did have some R&R in a hotel room while the kids were visiting my old friend's daughter, Siena Vakarian.

I still (even in my three hundred nine years of my life) that I find hard to believe how a turian impregnates one of the greatest heroes in the galaxy, Commander Adolfina Shepard; despite being a different species.

Now I and my wife on Palaven hear about this during dinner, I nearly choke my food out when hearing that the father was Garrus. My old trainer during boot camp.

Like how is that possible, they 'are two different species. They don't even have the same blood. Bloody hell I shouldn't talk about it since it gives a fucking headache every time I think about it.

I move my hand down to the IPod that is attached to my pants, clicking on the IPod to start the song again.

"_Damn what I'm becoming  
One of them now  
Just an opened door  
On an endless night  
Dark desire burning  
In my blood now  
How can I be sure?  
I don't know if I'll be able to fight"_

I sing to the song as I stare into the picture; memories of my family life appearing in my mind.

"_With a tortured soul  
And an honest design  
My will cannot endure  
As my heart is torn away_

I was caught up in the moment  
We were alone and  
You seemed to harness the light  
Even though I felt cold inside  
When you told me it would be alright  
I had given up control and  
I didn't focus hard enough to see  
The warning signs  
Your heart is serpentine

Now that I've been torn apart  
Will there be an end to this?  
Will there finally be release?  
Will I finally rest in peace?  
I'm determined to believe  
my prayers will be received."

I don't know if I can continue this lifestyle anymore?

"_With a tortured soul  
And an honest design  
My will cannot endure  
As my heart is torn away_

I was caught up in the moment  
We were alone and  
You seemed to harness the light  
Even though I felt cold inside  
When you told me it would be alright  
I had given up control and  
I didn't focus hard enough to see  
The warning signs  
Your heart is serpentine

The warning signs  
Your heart is serpentine  
Evil personified  
Your heart is serpentine."

"May the spirits forgive me for what I done." I spoke.

The song ends as I put the picture in my pocket; and stare at the celling.

I don't know why fate has given me this gift? Did it do this just to hurt me, or something more? But who was that voice that stopped me from killing myself.

_"Don't give up, your there only hope."_

What did that voice mean by that? Only hope? I'm no hero despite what the vids or everyone in the galaxy thinks. I'm just a soldier who is tired of fighting every time that the council gets into.

I just want to go home and spent time with my grandchildren on Thessia, feeling her gentle breeze through the night on the outskirts of Alida, a small coastal city on the northern continent that luckily survive the reaper invasion. My wife had own a small estate that was on a small hill, overlooking the city, showing the beautiful ocean itself.

I remember as me and my wife lay on one of the grass hills that covered the outskirts of the city; with her hands wrap around my, as the sun slowly descents below the horizon, flashing the sky with red, blue, and orange.

We just sit there, hours on end, watching thessia's sun going down; waiting until the moon shows itself.

It was time to get back to the estate. Our daughters were always worried about us when we go out; as I and my wife stood up, going back to the estate. But before we head out, my wife kissed me and whisper something in my ear. My face grace out a wide smile that day, but now she's…

My thoughts were interrupted, as the door to the hunt creaked open.

"Zecora, is that you?" I called out; turning off my IPod as the door was fully opened, revealing the Mohawk Zebra with two saddle bags.

As I expected it was the zebra, carrying in her saddle bags were plants and vegetables that were familiar to me on earth. While the other carries fruits and other vegetables that; such as: Applies, Peas, beans, Turnip greens, and other vegetables that could make something pretty good to eat.

I lifted myself up as she unbuckles the bags and places them on the table. She begins to remove the plants and veggies, and setting up accorded on the table.

_Creaked _

I stop as I hear the floorboards of the hut creaked. I craned my neck towards the source of the creaked, only to find myself being stare at…a unicorn.

The unknown unicorn eyes were a moderate violet with a sapphire mane that had brilliant rose steaks on it, but her coat was unusual for a pony on earth. The coat was a pale, light grayish mulberry; on her flank was a….tattoo with a large purple star with several others around it.

The unicorns' pupils shrink as she continues to stare at me. I looked back to zecora, still unpacking the ingredients.

I lifted my right hand and cough, grading the attention of the zebra.

I nodded my head towards the shocked unicorn that is slowly moving towards the door. Zecora was shocked at the unicorn that had followed her to her home.

"Twilight, This is unexpected. I didn't predict that you will follow me since our last conversion." Zecora said, irritated in her voice. The unicorn did not respond and simply at me even more.

I hold out my hand forward and sapped my fingers to try get now named unicorn 'Twilight' out of her trance.

The unicorns blinked and close her eyes again than open them up again, breaking the staring; her pupils return to normal. I can hear her regain her breath.

"Are you all right?" I said, crossing my arms; breaking the silence in the hut.

The purple unicorn gasps and took a step back.

"You…you're a human!" the unicorn finally spoke, shocked in her voice.

My eyebrow perked at the mention of my species' name. 'Did zecora tell her about me? No she told me right before she left that she will not reveal me until the right moment.'

"How do you know my species name, **unicorn**?" I said as I emphasize on the word unicorn, trying to be a little threating to her to sprint the beans.

The unicorn didn't respond as she brushed locks of her purple hair, looking down at the hut's floor. I was getting really frustrated from this pony. I snapped my fingers again.

"I'm sorry, again. I was only thinking." She apologized. The purple unicorn took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling through her nose.

"Humans were once legends in my books at the library… until now." She lifts her head and stared at my red eyes again.

My mind was about the unicorn' revelation was mixed. She could have been lying to me, and had may have convinced zecora about me, even though zecora told me right before she left that she won't revealed me until the right time.

Or maybe...no, no it can't be. They were supposed be all killed on New Florentia and New Mediolanum.

How is this possible? We destroyed their bunker. Their cloning factices were destroyed.

A thought pierced thought my mind.

_Equestria, Equestria, Equestria._

I finally remember that familiar name now. Equestria is their homeworld.

I have to warn the council, the turian Hierarchy, hell even the terminus systems if I have too.

_They've returned_

My left hand began to shaken from this revelation. This is one of the few times in my life that I been afraid of something. And _they_ are one of these times.

My shaken came to stop when I felt a certain touch on my arm. I looked down, locking my red eyes with the one that touch me.

It was zecora, her hoof running up and down on my arm, concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine, zecora just a shaken what….the unicorn just say?" I lied. I couldn't tell her about them. She could be one of their puppets by now.

The zebra let go of my arm, but concern about me is still in her eyes.

"So, is this the part where you suppose to take me to your home?" I asked the unicorn.

The unicorn looked at me; I can tell from her eyes were gleaming with enthusiasm and with a thirst of knowledge from me since I can tell this one is very smart.

The unicorn begins to jumping up and down in excitement. I couldn't help but laugh at this, she like a little girl in candy store.

After a few moments of her jumping around the hut, she finally had claimed down.

"Yes finally a human! My questions will finally be answered!" she exclaimed.

I looked down to zecora to see if she okay with me going with her.

"You can go with her, but I believed her excitement will overwhelm you in the future." She warns.

I gather my belongings and hoister my pistol, saying my goodbyes to the zebra, knowing that I will visit her someday. I told the unicorn I'm ready to head out.

_Third person view _

The unicorn was thrilled of having a legendary creature among her kind. She had read stories in the Canterlot Library when she was a little filly; stories about this man who served among her teacher's mother, Queen Lauren Faust, in the War ofSecession from the Zebraica Empire. The First contact war with the griffons, and the bloodiest war in Equestria history.

The war with the god of chaos himself, discord; the war itself had ravaged across Equestria for 20 years. Thousands of lives had been taken in battles around the deserted city of Canterlot, even the human live was taken during the battle of White Tail Woods. The war was at a stalemate. Discord himself was able to use a speech spell that can allow him to convinced thousands to his cause. Yet, during the final years of the war, Faust daughters were use the one of the greatest weapon against the god of chaos. The Elements of Harmony Twilight was always interested since one of her ancestors had taken part in the war as a healer during the final battle in Canterlot. Yet now standing beside her is… one of the greatest things that happen in ponykind since Princess Luna's return.

"So, twilight is it? Which way to your home?" a voice asked.

Twilight shanked her head, breaking her train of thought. They were outside of the hut; she looked again at the human; his red sapphire eyes staring right back at her.

Twilight couldn't help but stare into those eyes. They were beautiful as the flowers she smelled when she reads her books in the Canterlot Gardens. His silver hair was glistening from the sun's rays from the gaps that were not blocked from the dense trees around them.

The most noticeable about this human are his scars. There is one scar that is trace on his left creek from his neck, though you can see it if you're up close. She can clearly tell that his body is very muscular in appearance.

She can also tell that he about tall as her mentor, about six feet tall. It seems strange to her, seeing a creature that tall in front of her. The only creatures that were tall were the Creatures from this forest that eat…_meat_.

Her mind shudder at that thought. She had read countless books at the Ponyville library about how diets and environment conditions can affect the growth of animals and sentient beings; but since her species' diet considers of a (somewhat) Herbivore diet, but ponies can eat some meat, such as fish and dairy products. Yet their maximum height is at least four feet.

"Hey, are you okay?" a concern voice said.

She quickly snaps out of her another trance.

'_What is happening to me? Why do I keep acting up like this?"_ She though, confusion and frustration clouded her mind.

She looked up to the human again. If she can tell from his facial expressions; he was concern about her.

"Yes, I'm fine just thinking about something." She responded

"Really now, what were you thinking while starting at my eyes?" Prometheus smirked as the unicorn turned red like a tomato.

"Relax, twilight I was only joking." Prometheus laughed as he starts to walk north.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Twilight yell in response to his sudden departure from their conversion.

"Saw your town about north of here when I was drop here, and besides by the looks of this forest, it very dangerous." He explained as he continues walking thought the dense forest.

"Hey, wait up!" she sprinted towards the human as he begins to laugh.

_In the bushes among the tree lines, he watches as the unicorn ran off towards the human. The human appearance has caused a stir in its programs. It made several clicking sounds as his programs decide what to do. It has been marooned on this planet for sixty years, twelve days, thirty six minutes and has still been counting. It had watched the planet's locals for days, observing them. It finally made a_ _decision, to confront the human and hopefully has a ship to get back to its creators in Citadel Space, thought the human does look familiar to him, he quickly search though his memories to Identify the __albino__ human. Several seconds pass by and it made another clicking sound and made a low sounding whistle_ _as it finally recognize the human_.

"_Prometheus-General," It spoke it first words in years._

_The leaves around it began to crunch around as he begins to follow the human and its unicorn friend._

_In route to Ponyville_

_9:54 A.M_

_Year: 2th year since the redemption of the moon/ 2486 CE (Council era) _

"We are nearly to the town, your majesty." One of the Pegasus guards who putting the flying carriage, spoke.

Celestia looked up from the latest report from the minster of industries about the latest increase of production in Trottingham. She sat the scroll down next to her on her seat and look down, seeing her beautiful country.

Her sister was not with her since she instead use a teleporting spell to get to Ponyville to assist with 'anomaly' in the everfree forest.

Of course, she is missing this beautiful view of the countryside.

Her carriage passes over many of her subject's towns, seeing going thought their day to day lives as if it was nothing. She had sent her student to the name, Ponyville two years ago were she discover her destiny and her friends destiny as the wielders of the Elements of Harmony. She was so proud of her, yet she felt regretless in her.

She closed her eyes and silently signed.

She was supposed to be the most powerful alicorn in the land, but instead she was beaten and was, termportily, banished by Nightmare Moon. She knew that there was a possibly that her student won't survive the confrontation, but instead of hearing her sister' maniacal laugh, her student and her friends have defeat Nightmare moon with the Elements of Harmony.

The princess snapped out of her thoughts as she feels the carriage began to descend.

'_We're already here_.' She thought.

The carriage came to a stop as it hit the ground.

She steps out and glances around the town. The residents of the town stopped what they were doing, and bowed. Apparently she had arrival during the middle of a work day.

She trotted along the dirt road, leading up towards the town marketplace with her escort of royal guards behind her.

She passed many of her subjects, who in response, bowing to her. Their reaction to the princesses' sudden visit was…unexpected.

As she walks thought the marketplace, she couldn't help smell the newly fresh meats that were being sold to the common folk.

She remembers how this town was once part of the Everfree Forest until she sold to the Apple family eighty years ago. Their small apple farm soon began to grow profitable when they began to grow zap apples, and sold to customers far and wide; even some decide to stay there, such as one of the richest ponies at the time, Stinky Rich.

She continues walking towards her pupil home: An old library that is actually a carved out tree. She can now see the tree as she make her way towards it, seeing it leaves begin to change color, and some fall to the ground.

As she approaches the door while her guards take positions around the tree house, she begins to feel a familiar…_energy _coming from Twilight house.

An energy that she, herself. had not felt since she was a little filly.

She knocks on the wooden door, either awaiting a response from twilight assailant, spike, or her student.

_No response came. _

She knocked on the door again; still no response.

She was getting a little irradiated.

"Twilight, it me, Princess Celestia, I've come for a visit." She called out, hoping for the purple unicorn torecognize her voice and opened the door.

She imminently hears some hoof steps coming from the inside.

The door slowly creaks open, letting out some of the heat that the tree house contained.

"Greetings, my faithful student, I wish to speak to you on…"She stops her sentence when she set her eyes on twilight; she gasps at what she saw.

What in front was her student, instead of the happy student who always diverges into her books, was…shedding tears on the wooden floor below them. Her mane was a mess, her fur was covered in dirt and…blood. There were some minor cuts and bruises around her hoofs.

Celestia, even her guards, were shock at student injuries.

The student whimpers under her voice, new batch of tears begin to appear in her eyes.

"Please…follow me…Princess." Twilight mouth quiver as the tears steam down her cheeks.

The Princess shakily complied and ordered her guards to stay where they were; they nodded and stood their guard around the tree house, despite what transpired a few seconds ago.

Twilight moved aside for her mentor to enter her home. Her mentor slowly enters her student's household, only seeing it was a complete mess. Books were pile up on each other, on the ground. She could see some ash on the ground.

She was horridly by what happen to her student, she was like a daughter to her. Who could have done this to her.

"Please…follow me." Her student called out, hearing a whimper after that.

Celestia follow her student through the messy floors cover in books, reaching the stairs. Their hoofs creaked as they ascended up towards Twilight bedroom.

"T-Twilight, what has happen…to you?" Celestia spoke, breaking the silence around them.

No answer came from the purple unicorn.

Celestia didn't ask again, worrying that her student is traumatize.

They had finally reached the door to Twilight bedroom. No one, only hearing their breathing; twilight lifted her left bruised hoof towards the door.

She knocks on the bedroom door twice, and setting the hoof down on the floor. "Princess Luna…your sister here, should we show him?" she choked on her words.

Celestia mind was at a buzz. What did she meant, _showing him_?

She stops her thoughts when a teary reply came.

"Yes,"

Twilight lifted her left hoof again, and moves it towards the door nod.

The door creakily open, Celestia holds her breath, seeing the answer to why her student and her Sister were hiding something.

Celestia can only gasp, and tears begin forming around the corner of her eyes.

Sleeping on her student couch was…a human. She couldn't believe it; in her immoral life, the only human she had ever met, raised both her and her sister, alongside her mother, during Equestria dark time.

The human was heavily wounded. It clothing was torn up, bullet holes in his shirt.

It face was covered in blood. It skin was very pale.

It chest barley raised and fall again in rhythm, standing beside the human was her sister, Luna.

Her sister had her front hoofs around the human neck, crying on his shoulder.

Celestia can hear her sister's peas, shock to hear what her sister was saying.

"_Please… please don't leave us again, papa. Don't leave me in the dark alone."_

And so it begins.

Ending song: watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=zGfwwERbl1A#t=272s


	5. Honrar entre os Deuses e caos

**AU:**_ Sorry for the long hiatus, guys. Problems with life, writer block, and wasting much of my time on video games had keep me from writing much on this story. But I hope I'll get this story on track to prepped for the next chapter._

_Also I'll like to say that this chapter is my official head canon of how the events of Discord battle with the Alicorn sisters: All right war._

_As of right now, I'm currently writing the next chapter to this to get the flow of the story going, of course._

_If any of you see any errors, including Grammar and spelling, Please comment down below and I can fix it as best I can._

* * *

_"Every war has its traitors."_

_- Lara T' Soni, during the Cerberus attack on Sur'kesh. 2186 CE (Council Era)_

Translation: Honor among gods and mayhem.

Year: unknown

Time: unknown

Location: Near the castle of the Empress of Equestria, Everfree Forest.

Rain was pouring heavily on the campsite of the Equestrian Army; everyone in the camp was getting paranoid and heavily agitated for the upcoming battle. The enemy had found them shortly after the betrayal of one of their own. Morale was very low from the last battle with the enemy. The soldiers kept themselves warm by the campfires from the freezing elements of nature itself. Thunder roared throughout the darkened sky; lightning flashed across the camp. It was a very terrifying sight for the little foals, tucking themselves beneath their mothers. But, not for the soldiers; they had endured a war that had plagued their land for fifteen long years.

In one of the many campfires, five soldiers of the 22nd Equestrian Legionnaire force of the Everfree were wrapping themselves in cloths to keep warm. They were engaged in a conversation about their recent defeat and their families back home.

"So, Storm how is your family back in Cloudsdale? I heard from your brother he is in the _Loxística_", a Pegasus messenger, by the name of Goliath, asked. His cutie mark was a sword cross with a bow and arrow. His mane was black with streaks of yellow in it, and his fur was a light brown with a mix of red. His tail was also the same color as his fur.

Next to him was another messenger, who wore the same silver armor that he was wearing. Her mane was an aqua color while her fur was a pinkish color. The cutie mark on her flank was an orange about to be cut by a knife.

"Yes he is; originally he refused the offer for the position, but when our hometown had fallen, he changed his mind" Storm replied.

One of them, an earth pony with a green mane and a black coat with a shield as a cutie mark, levitated a piece of firewood and threw it into the raging fire that was struggling to stay alive against the oncoming downpour of rain.

"So, Thunderheart, did you hear that rumor about the human?" nudged the soldier next to him. The soldier had a red mane with purple streaks; his coat was mildly brown, and his cutie mark was a plow.

"You mean the Guardian?" he answered as he threw another log into the fire, slowly incinerating it.

"You know, the rumor about him screwing with The _Empress_." His friend nudged him again, smirking in response.

Thunderheart didn't respond. He had heard this rumor from many of his friends and comrades during battles and after. He, of course, had heard this rumor from the nurses in the medical tents. When he ate in the mess hall, he could hear the soldiers talk about how the Guardian would go in The Empress' tent and spend the next fortnight.

Of course, there was barely any evidence of them having a…_relationship. _ The only time he, himself, had seen the Guardian entering The Empress' tent was during the aftermath of Terra Mortuorum.

He shuddered at the memories. The Battle of Terra Mortuorum was a complete disaster from the start. It took place on one of the open grasslands near one of the mountains that held the ancient city of Canterlot.

Discord Army, known as the 3rd army of the Daemonium, was camped there. Since their camp was close to the ponies, it helped give The Empress the perfect time on planning a counterattack. She had planned for two legions to attack during the night, hoping that defeating them would open up an opportunity to recapture some of the villages, including Thunderheart's small home village of Hoofington.

His village was completely destroyed when it fell to the forces of chaos. They would pay dearly for what they took from him.

Thunderheart gritted his teeth as he remembered how Hoofington had been destroyed during the great counter offensive from Discord army. The anger in him grew as repressed memories began to surface.

Unfortunately, right before the battle was to take place, the Daemonium attacked their camp during the middle of the night; catching them completely off guard. Because of his absence at the battle, it was clear that a unicorn General by the name of Lucky Star tipped off the Daemonium about the damn plan, convinced that the cause of freeing Equestria was hopeless, and hoping, by his actions, to be granted amnesty from Discord for himself.

The attack was quick and devastating. Without enough time to organize, the ponies didn't have a fighting chance. The casualties were heavy. The Daemonium had torn through the camp, leaving behind many of their dead enemies behind them. Of the six thousand ponies that were part of the operation, only about two thousand survived. If not for the interference of the Guardian, the casualties would have been even higher. With the loss of so many stallions, it left their left flank guarded with raw recruits barely trained in the many training camps hidden near the home of their Goddess in the Everfree Forest.

But now the Equestrian Army was in somewhat of a disorganized state from the disaster. The screams of the wounded, as the doctors performed amateur amputations on them, were washed over only by the roaring thunder above them. Many will not live to see another day. Captains of the once powerful and respected legions of the Equestrian Army scrambled to find and organize any survivors, and count how many had survived the initial attack. Most of the generals in the command tent argued among each other over the sudden betrayal of one of their own. Hell, the argument almost turned into a full-blown brawl when one of Lucky Star's closest friends, General Treue, began defending him, causing the generals to suspect Treue of helping Star deliver the information to the enemy. Fortunately the Guardian stopped it before it had gotten too far. This, of course, placed Treue on constant surveillance requiring him to be escorted by guards at all time to and from the command tent to make sure this betrayal was the last one.

Thunderheart's ears perked up as he heard the grass behind him crunch under the thumping of hoofsteps. And speak of the devil, there he was; Thunderheart craned his neck to see the lucky bastard. The general was wearing a tar coat to keep himself warm from the cold rain. Walking alongside him was two of the Goddess' personal élite guards. Their armor was covered in an unknown silver alloy that, if the rumors are true, is almost unbreakable. Their helmets almost cover their heads except for their mouths. Thunderheart couldn't help but stare at the legendary warriors of The Empress in amazement and in fear of their awesome armor that would give even the god of chaos himself a challenge. But, despite their high mortality training (having been trained by The Goddess and The Guardian themselves) and their overwhelming, undying loyalty to their Empress, they were too few in number to turn the tide. Thunderheart watched as the general talked to some of the soldiers in a nearby camp, trying to boost their morale after the complete disaster at Mortuorum. He gritted his teeth again as the general gave his usual warming smile to the troops, assuring them that everything will be fine.

'_Bullshit.'_

Despite him being found innocent for charges of treason and espionage, many of the Equestrian legions do not trust him. Even though Treue was a great tactician among the rest of Equestria's citizens that were or not under control by Discord and his Daemonic armies, his spirit for fighting the enemy directly is somewhat…cowardly. Before the emergence of the god of chaos and the war that sparked from it, unicorns, like their earthen and winged counterparts, were the political leaders of the Equestrian government. Even though about ¼ of the government jobs were filled with Pegasus and Earth ponies, still the majority were unicorn. Yet, even though the unicorns have excellent experience in governance and their legendary diplomatic skills could convince an arrogant Minotaur to back down, their military skills were somewhat questionable in terms of fighting and courage.

Their style of fighting is, of course, using combat magic. Since unicorns have the ability to create new spells in the confines of their castles, their military was able to create spells to enchant their armor and weaponry and use spells to conjure up shields to protect the castle, an entire village, or an entire city. Of course, magic doesn't come without a cost. Magic can drain the unicorn's stamina which can prove a disadvantage when entering hoof to hoof combat. Yet, despite their weakness in stamina when using magic, the common unicorn can unleash some devastating magical power on their opponents. Despite their confidence in their ability at destroying their enemies with their all-powerful magic, their arrogant attitude towards other species and their own, has cost them greatly during the tribal wars. When the foodstuffs of the unicorn states were in short supply due to the everlasting winter, they declared war on the nearby Earth pony tribes in the Everfree region, subjecting and controlling their only source of producing food and mines full of raw materials.

The campaign in the Everfree region turned into a stalemate as some arrogant unicorn Generals, inadequate against the Earth ponies' abilities at warfare, gave the occupied populace hope and caused some to form resistance cells to disrupt supply runs and harass unicorn troop movements.

Due to their magical connection to Mother Nature herself, the Earth Ponies' great endurance and their natural physical abilities made them excellent in the art of tramping through the wilderness around them and the dozens of regions that dotted next to, or bordered the large Everfree Forest that is their home. They were considered legends even before the unification of Equestria down to the last of the legendary race, The Alicorns.

Since the emergence of the Earth Pony tribes, there had been constant sightings of "winged and horned ponies" reported by hunters that traversed through the forest to hunt for manticore pelts that were used for winter clothes and trade for basic essentials. Mostly their reports are regarded as superstitious nonsense by the Earth Pony populace since there was no possible way for a Pegasus pony and a unicorn hybrid to exist due to the rising tensions of the two tribes, and the unicorn's negative views on interracial relationships.

Of course, the reports of these "winged, horned ponies" did reach the ears of the Pegasus tribes in their fortress clouds over those they considered inferior in fighting. Many of their warriors had traveled and failed to find these special ponies and hunt them down to prove their worth to their God of War, _Bellum__ D__amnationis_, and gain prestige for their families in the political scene.

But the most noticeable thing in some reports was the telling of a bipedal creature, carrying a bow and arrow or sometimes a sword, accompanied by two small versions of the winged unicorn.

The unicorns' reaction to the reports of winged unicorns living in the Everfree was…well quite mixed. The reports caused a stir in religious leaders across the unicorn states, including the church of the Matercula Equa.

The church of Matercula Equa was one of the oldest religious institutions dating back to when the unicorns founded and settled in the city of Canterlot in nine hundred eleven BECE (Before Equestria Common Era). Unlike their earthen and winged brethren, who worshiped their gods who helped them make the clouds or gave them good luck on the next harvest, the unicorns, who followed the church, worshiped these beings of untold magical power that they described in their scrolls.

Legends foretold of these beings of unimaginable magical power that were able to bend the heavens themselves. It was said that Alicorns were the first on their planet to reach the apex of their civilization, carving out their small settlements on the planet making cities that could breach the heavens. Many believed when the Alicorns 'transcended' from their lands to fully become the gods that they were destined to be, they left their wonderful cities to crumble and be overrun by the forces of nature. Their _empire _and their impressive _technology_ that could bend the very facet of matter itself were _left_ behind for those who wished to use it. They chose those they deemed worthy to ascend with them and left the worthless deemed unsuitable for transcendence; the world would burn to destroy the unclean and life would begin anew.

Of course, most of the descriptions on the scrolls were either ruined by years of disuse or too damaged to be translated. But a religious fire was provoked in several unicorn cities including Canterlot, declaring that sightings of the winged, horned ponies was a sign that their gods were beginning the purge of their world. Thankfully, the current monarchy, ruled by Princess Platinum II, was able to put out the fire before it could spread, and cause untold damage and a huge political shit storm from the other tribes.

But, when the everlasting winter began and the unicorns had begun the invasion of the Earth ponies' homeland, the fire that was once put down, sparked yet again through the fires of war. During the invasion, a young general, by the name of Silverheart, commanded the 45th Legionnaire force, or known during the war as Legionnaire Group _Furia_ of Army Group A.

Silverheart was born in the city of Canterlot to a military family. His father was a general of one of her majesty's most precious armies. His reputation in the army had gained him major political points in her court, but he began to slowly lose the political prestige due to his relationship with Silverheart's mother. She was a peasant by the name of Charm Flower, who owned a small florist's shop in the upper districts of Canterlot where the wealthy and governmental officials lived. They met when his father was having a short leave in the city and was picking up flowers to visit the grave of his late Grandfather, General Hammerfield. The meeting and the beginning of their relationship was somewhat a mystery to their friends and, even their family. Some said that the general had used his wicked charms on the mare and she fell in love with him, but others said that Charm flower used a spell to make the general fall for her.

Regardless of the rumors, it did cause great consternation among the nobles. To see one of their own having a relationship with some pony, who is not part of government, nor born of nobility, is quite unheard of. This scandal almost cost The General his job more than a couple of times with the chain of command, when some of the higher members started openly criticizing the relationship and ordered his discharge, but were always blocked by the Queen.

In the second year of their relationship, the couple announced that they were engaged, and were having their wedding at the Canterlot Castle. Of course, it did get some nobles to quickly threaten to boycott it, but they were silenced when the Queen gave a warning that if any of them attempted to disrupt the ceremony, she would forcibly remove their status as nobles and take away their entire wealth as punishment. They quickly backed off in frustration. The wedding went off successfully and The General announced that he was retiring, shocking everyone present. One year later, Silverheart was born.

Even though Silverheart and his father weren't members of the church, it didn't stop him from trying to find out the truth about The Alicorns. During the pacification of the southern Earth Ponies' tribes, he was able to convince his men to follow him deep into the Everfree forest by promising to reward them with riches and glory from the kingdom. This was done without the permission of the other generals. They never came back.

The war ended when the leaders of The Pony Tribes were able to stop a race of demons called Windigos, who fed on fighting and hatred to fuel their everlasting winter and had the ability to turn ponies into flesh-eating cannibals.

No one knows where the 45th Legionnaire force went, but some rumors had persisted that they were killed by the creatures of the forest, or were intercepted by the Earth ponies forces, wiping each other out to the last pony. Others said that Silverheart actually found The Alicorns and stayed in the forest with his men, seduced by the very creatures they were out to claim for glory and honor.

Thunderheart sighed and turned away from his glare at Treue as thunder roared again across the sky, this time louder than the last one. He began to quietly hum as the rain pounded harder on his rain coat, singing the song, "_May the Empress protect"_. It was one of the many short songs that were sung by the many soldiers in the legions during the war, often to cope.

"_Through the heavens she watches, guides us, protect us over the darkness itself. She is the sword and shield of Equestria. She is the fire in our souls to fight on, the angel who inspires hope."_

"_We are the children of The Alicorns."_

The others stopped what they were doing and looked at their comrade, singing.

"_She watches us from above, leading to our future, hope, kindness to all. She is the light in the darkness. Her order will destroy the chaos. Peace is our greatest weapon."_

"_The spark of our Empress will never be vanquished. She will lead us to glory for our race. The blade of her light, the shield of our kingdom, we're the children of her blessing."_

"_We are the Children of Harmony."_

One by one, each solder in the campfire began singing, lifting their spirits from the depression and sorrow. Others nearby began to notice and they, too, began to sing as well.

"_Harmony is part of us, we will survive, and we will overcome."_

"_As we march on to coming darkness and chaos, as the empress watches over us in the coming suffering and the coming of the storm, the empress will watch us all, even in our afterlife"_

"_The Empress protects us all."_

The song ended, and the legionnaires' began to smile, despite their defeat at the hands of the forces of chaos. They looked up, to see some thunder flash across their camp and observed that the rain had died down. They hadn't noticed, however, a creature was flying through the storm, watching their little song-analog in the cold rain.

The creature smirked at their attempt to keep their morale up, even though as they smiled, it could sense deep down into their minds that they were _afraid. _Like every creature and sentient being in this land, down to even the basic of their animatistic nature, fear has its way of clawing though the skins of millions, making them scared of the unknown, causing them to make mistakes, and mistakes cause _chaos_.

The creature turned away and gazed his eyes on his prime target - a large ceremonial red tent in the middle of the camp, guarded by two of the Empress' personal guards, just meters across from each other and the tent's flaps. The creature was goaded and very annoyed at their presence. They first appeared in the war 5 years prior, during the battle of Tramplevania, when they struck the flanks of the chaos army, completely taking them by surprise. Even though the Equestrians failed to retake one of their small cities, the élite guard was able to put out tremendous casualties on the enemy; not even a single chaos beast could beat them.

But like every creature, plant, and microscopic germ, they have a _weakness_. Due to its enchantment by magic, their armor gave the user extra protection. But, it also wore the user down because of an unknown alloy in the armor that actually rejects the magic. Thus, it made the user tired from long use of the armor. In the weeks since the first appearance of the élite guard, there were reports of some of them falling in the battlefield from fatigue. Even with their brutal training, they're not invincible.

But still, the creature wasn't here to simply watch them out of boredom. He was here for _her_.

As he silently slipped the flap to the tent, he was amused to see that the élite guards didn't detect him. He couldn't help but grin at the thought of seeing her again. It had been so long since he last saw her in the Everfree Forest all those years ago. He glanced around the tent. There were four purple cushions in a circular position around a table. At the front was also a table that had several maps with pointed arrows on them to mark troop movements. Then his gaze fell upon another flap entrance to the second area of the tent.

'_Their quarters,"_

The creature grinned again as he floated towards the flap to that_ bitch's _quarters. He opened the flap and poked his head inside. The room was small and cozy. There were several pieces of furniture in the room; one of them with a mirror on top of it in the far corner. Amongst the furniture was a small bed. On it a small shaped creature lay sleeping.

"_There you are,"_

Instead of floating towards the bed, he decided to walk, careful not to make the occupant aware he was there. As his feet touched down on the tent floor, he slowly made his way towards the bed, hoping not to wake the occupant or to spoil his surprise for _her_. As he made it to the bed without a sound, he looked down at the small bundle under the bed covers. The bundle was no other than a small Alicorn, about the age of a filly; her mane was a very light azure while her coat was a light phthalo blue. Her wings were tucked behind her back under the covers.

He traced his paw around her forehead, feeling her soft fur. His own heart ached at the sight of her, as he thought of the many times the filly had asked him why he was hurting her mommy. He never answered those questions and made some cowardly excuses to change the subject.

He removed his paw and snapped his fingers on his other hand, summoning in a flash of light on his hand a necklace. In the center of the necklace was a blue crystal hanging on a chain; surrounding the crystal were several small crystals of the same kind, but different colors. Inside the blue crystal was a floating energy that could change colors based on emotions. They glowed faintly throughout the room, reflecting off his skin and hers.

The creature sighed. This was supposed to be the last time he would ever see her again. He looked down at her again. Her breathing was very shallow. He could tell from the breathing that she was very tired from the day. Her time was spent playing with her big sister in the woods, ignoring what was happening all around them. Oh yes, their mother was very good at hiding what was going on with her. Only her big sister knew what was happening in the world. He snapped his fingers again, and the necklace disappeared from his hand appearing on the Alicorn filly's neck, without waking her up. The filly stirred, moving the covers a little, but then stopped and continued her sleep. The creature let out a breath of relief.

But his relief quickly turned to anger. He didn't want to stop this, regardless of what would happen if her mother and that bastard of a guardian found out. He glowered at the thought. He didn't want her caught up in all of this. No, she was too innocent to know. He never wanted all of this; only wanting to live in peace and protect the balance. But no, her mother wants to upset it all, to bring prefect harmony to her subjects' land, but that would mean destroying what he had brought to this land.

_He didn't do it just because he was evil._

_He didn't do it just because he hated the world. _

_He did it because it was in his nature to uphold the balance of the world. _

_And he will protect it until his last brea…._

"_Uncle?"_

His eyes went wide. His breathing stopped when he heard her voice; that sweet voice of hers that could put his anger aside. He looked down at the Alicorn again. Her body was still covered by the blankets while her head was slightly up from the pillow. Her eyes bored through his; those majestic eyes of hers that could make his heart stop.

He didn't know how long he was into his thoughts, but it felt a long time. Whatever happens in this goddamn war that he started in the first place, he never was going to forget that beautiful face of hers; the one that made him the perfect Lord of Chaos that she always loved.

"_Uncle Discord, why are you crying? Did mommy hurt your feelings?_

No, this war isn't over by a long shot. Because now, he wasn't doing all this for the balance… he was also doing this for his niece.

_In every conceivable manner, the family is a link to our past, a bridge to our future - Alex Haley._


End file.
